PTER TWENTY TWO.

LIFE IN THE BEACON--STORY OF THE EDDYSTONE LIGHTHOUSE.

Some time after this a number of the men took up their permanent abode
in the beacon house, and the work was carried on by night as well as by
day, when the state of the tide and the weather permitted.

Immense numbers of fish called poddlies were discovered to be swimming
about at high water. So numerous were they, that the rock was sometimes
hidden by the shoals of them. Fishing for these thenceforth became a
pastime among the men, who not only supplied their own table with fresh
fish, but at times sent presents of them to their friends in the
vessels.

All the men who dwelt on the beacon were volunteers, for Mr Stevenson
felt that it would be cruel to compel men to live at such a post of
danger. Those who chose, therefore, remained in the lightship or the
tender, and those who preferred it went to the beacon. It is scarcely
necessary to add, that among the latter were found all the "sea-sick
men!"

These bold artificers were not long of having their courage tested.
Soon after their removal to the beacon they experienced some very rough
weather, which shook the posts violently, and caused them to twist in a
most unpleasant way.

But it was not until some time after that a storm arose, which caused
the stoutest-hearted of them all to quail more than once.

It began on the night of as fine a day as they had had the whole season.

In order that the reader may form a just conception of what we are about
to describe, it may not be amiss to note the state of things at the
rock, and the employment of the men at the time.

A second forge had been put up on the higher platform of the beacon, but
the night before that of which we write, the lower platform had been
burst up by a wave, and the mortar and forge thereon, with all the
implements, were cast down. The damaged forge was therefore set up for
the time on its old site, near the foundation-pit of the lighthouse,
while the carpenters were busy repairing the mortar-gallery.

The smiths were as usual busy sharpening picks and irons, and making
bats and stanchions, and other iron work connected with the building
operations. The landing-master's crew were occupied in assisting the
millwrights to lay the railways to hand, and joiners were kept almost
constantly employed in fitting picks to their handles, which latter were
very frequently broken.

Nearly all the miscellaneous work was don