ndeed still
tremendous, but the force of the gale was broken and the danger was
past.

CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR.

A CHAPTER OF ACCIDENTS.

Time rolled on, and the lighthouse at length began to grow.

It did not rise slowly, as does an ordinary building. The courses of
masonry having been formed and fitted on shore during the winter, had
only to be removed from the workyard at Arbroath to the rock, where they
were laid, mortared, wedged, and trenailed, as fast as they could be
landed.

Thus, foot by foot it grew, and soon began to tower above its
foundation.

From the foundation upwards for thirty feet it was built solid. From
this point rose the spiral staircase leading to the rooms above. We
cannot afford space to trace its erection step by step, neither is it
desirable that we should do so. But it is proper to mention, that there
were, as might be supposed, leading points in the process--eras, as it
were, in the building operations.

The first of these, of course, was the laying of the foundation stone,
which was done ceremoniously, with all the honours. The next point was
the occasion when the tower showed itself for the first time above water
at full tide. This was a great event. It was proof positive that the
sea had been conquered; for many a time before that event happened had
the sea done its best to level the whole erection with the rock.

Three cheers announced and celebrated the fact, and a "glass" all round
stamped it on the memories of the men.

Another noteworthy point was the connexion--the marriage, if the simile
may be allowed--of the tower and the beacon. This occurred when the
former rose to a few feet above high-water mark, and was effected by
means of a rope-bridge, which was dignified by the sailors with the name
of "Jacob's ladder."

Heretofore the beacon and lighthouse had stood in close relation to each
other. They were thenceforward united by a stronger tie; and it is
worthy of record that their attachment lasted until the destruction of
the beacon after the work was done. Jacob's ladder was fastened a
little below the doorway of the beacon. Its other end rested on, and
rose with, the wall of the tower. At first it sloped downward from
beacon to tower; gradually it became horizontal; then it sloped upward.
When this happened it was removed, and replaced by a regular wooden
bridge, which extended from the doorway of the one structure to that of
the other.

Along this w