n that before, and yet none of this violence and
wrath could be seen unless some one chanced to pass carrying a lantern.
Then this thing that raged along the sands, this creature, this dragon
from the deep, would show an angry whiteness, as if it were the opening of
his jaws.

Will and the boys may have tramped a quarter of a mile along the beach,
when Will exclaimed, "Hullo, there's a light!"

It was a lively twinkle upon the sands that came nearer and nearer, and
then stopped before the party.

"Who's this?" asked a voice, pleasantly.

Charlie lifted up his face toward the shining of this friendly light.

"Bub, is this you down here at this time of night? Don't you know the man
who goes fishin' from your Aunt Stanshy's barn?"

"O yes, I know you."

It was the junior member of the new firm, "Tyler & Fisher."

"Are you a patrolman, Mr. Fisher?" asked Will.

"I am at spells, when a man at the station may be sick. You see I can't go
fishin' in this storm, and it comes handy to be employed as a substitute
at the station. But what are you here for?"

"We came down to find a wreck. Up in town St. John's bell was rung and we
were told there was a wreck at Gull Point. At the station, though, where
we have been, a man said that he did not know of any."

"I guess I know how that story got up to town. A little fool was down here
with a squeaky voice and sharp little eyes, and he wanted to know if there
were any wrecks. The fact is we had been looking for sich all day and
through the evening and night. There were one or two vessels off the mouth
of the harbor as night came on, trying to get in, and, pizen! they could
no more get in than my old tarpaulin, and they wouldn't stand a hundredth
part of the chance she would. You see, a nor'easter rakes right across the
mouth of our harbor and drives off any sail tryin' to get in, and one of
two things will happen--either a ship will be swept out to sea or swept on
to Gull P'int. Well, that feller said to Joe Danforth--Joe and me were
together--'Has there been a wreck?' 'No,' said Joe, 'I think not,' meaning
to answer him. But I had said to Joe at that time, or just before that
feller asked his question, 'Hadn't we better go to the station and get a
bite?' 'Yes,' said Joe, meaning to answer _me_, and that person--whoever
it was, grabbed up the answer to me and thought it was for him, and went
off accordingly. That is how that bell came to ring. It would be an awful
night for