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saw in that the reason of his father’s
delay. He concluded that he would
have to pass the night alone, and anti
cipated with pride the responsibility
that was placed upon him.
He watched the approach of dark
ness with impatience, for he longed to
light up. At last the time came, and
the huge lights were kindled, and the
polished reflectors sent forth their
dazzling beams of light far over the
waters.
Some time passed, and Davie looked
on the lights, and reflected with pride
on the fact that he was now the guard
ian of the post. He busied himself
about the building, and finally sat down
in the room, enjoying the situation.
Ten o’clock came, and Davie went to
inspect the lights. As he ascended,
there burst forth a sudden flash, which
was visible even above the intense light
in the lantern. It alarmed the boy.
He rushed up. One of the large
lamps seemed to be all a mass of flame.
The wick seemed to have been impro
perly adjusted, or the top was loosely
screwed on. At any rate, whatever
was the cause, the flames had fastened
themselves on the inflammable liquid,
and were blazing up fiercely.
For a moment Davie stood looking
at it in horror, and then, following a
sudden impulse, he hurried down to
get a pail of water with the intention of
dashing it over the lamp.
wt,*' fu 11 ,
3 ' l in mino '
seized. But scarcely had he turned to
go up, when a loud crash was heard in
the loft, and a flame arose brighter and
more intense than ever.
The lamp had exploded. That Davie
knew well. Still he determined to go
up with the water. So he ascended re
solutely. As his head arose above the
floor of the lantern, he was blinded
with the light that shone. The flames
arose on all sides, and had already
taken hold of some of the woodwork —
which, saturated with oil, formed the
support for the lamps. At this Davie
flung the contents of his pail. The
water hissed as it struck the flames,
and the kindling fires were quenched
in many places, but still the fire was
not extinguished.
Davie did not wait, but flew down
stairs for more water. Another pailful
was there ; this he seized, and back he
hurried. By the time he reached the
lantern he found the flames once more
gathering, so that they were as fierce
as they were before. And this was all
the water in the house! He would not
have time to dip any out of the sea.
Before he could do so, the whole lan
tern, which was made of wood, would
be in flames.
It was a time for instant, yet cautious
and judicious action. In a moment a
plan had suggested itself, which was at
once the quickest and the wisest. He
flung himself down stairs, seized some
coarse woollen rugs and bits of old car
peting, and with these he hurried back
BURKE’S WEEKLY FOR BOYS AND GIRLS.
again. He saturated them with water,
and threw one over the woodwork,
which had begun to blaze once more.
Seeing this partially smothered, he
turned to other burning places, and at
tacked the flames by pressing the wet
rags over them, and stamping them
down, and rubbing them over with bis
hands. Then at the woodwork he went
again, where the flames were insidiously
crawling out from beneath the wet rug.
These were saturated over and over,
and the wet cloths were over and over
again pressed and swabbed against every
place where the flames gave a sign.
It was a fearful work, and a work
from which poor Davie did not come
away unscathed. His clothes, his hands,
and his face were all burnt and singed.
His hair was burnt off, and his eye-
\
brows and eyelashes; but at last he
conquered, and saw the lantern safe
from the danger, and the rest of the
lamps burning in perfect security.
Poor Davie suffered dreadfully from
his burns that night, but he was sus
tained by the glorious thought that he
had saved the lighthouse. For whatever
had been the cause of the accident?
Davie knew that it was not his fault.
Sweet was it, even amid his pain, to
feel this; and sweeter still was it to
hear his father’s words when he re
turned at early morning.
As the lighthouse keeper caught sight
of his son, with his face and hands
bound up; hair, eyebrows and eye
lashes gone ; and his clothes burnt full
of holes—he started in horror. On
learning the whole story his horror was
increased. For a long time he said
nothing.
“ 0 Davie 1 Davie! ” he cried, 11 but
for you I’d have been a ruined man. It
was my fault, Davie, boy. I filled the
lamps in the morning, and now I remem
ber, one of them 1 didn’t screw down.”
Davie soon got over his pains, and
shortly after left the lighthouse, to learn
a trade in a distant city. His courage
and faithfulness cannot fail to recom
mend him wherever he may be.
RUSSIAN CARAVANS IN ASIA.
4HE caravans which now cross
t the Asiatic continent are un
ih ix
r der the command of Russian
officers or traders. The teas, silks, and
other Chinese articles, are packed in as
small a compass as possible, and car
ried part of the way in boats, part of
the way in sledges, and the other part
on the backs of camels, as shown in the
picture.
Not long since, a party of English
and Americans travelled by this route
all the way from Pekin to St. Peters
burg. Among them was a missionary,
who distributed copies of the Scriptures
among the Mongol and Manchu Tartars.
Since then an American missionary and
his wife have gone to live and labor
among the Mongols.
► .©»..
One of the most important rules of
the science of manners is an almost
absolute silence in regard to yourself.
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127