the smallest conceivable fly
could not have found the minutest atom of dry footing on a Bell Rock
slice of toast, from its centre to its circumference. Dove had a
liberal heart, and he laid on the butter with a liberal hand. Fair play
and no favour was his motto, quarter-inch thick was his gauge, railway
speed his practice. The consequence was that the toast floated, as it
were, down the throats of the men, and compensated to some extent for
the want of milk in the tea.

"Now, boys, sit in," cried Dove, seizing the teapot.

"We have not much variety," observed Dumsby to Ruby, in an apologetic
tone.

"Variety!" exclaimed Forsyth, "what d'ye call that?" pointing to the
fish.

"Well, that _is_ a hextra morsel, I admit," returned Joe; "but we don't
get that every day; 'owsever, wot there is is good, an' there's plenty
of it, so let's fall to."

Forsyth said grace, and then they all "fell to", with appetites peculiar
to that isolated and breezy spot, where the wind blows so fresh from the
open sea that the nostrils inhale culinary odours, and the palates seize
culinary products, with unusual relish.

There was something singularly unfeminine in the manner in which the
duties of the table were performed by these stalwart guardians of the
Rock. We are accustomed to see such duties performed by the tender
hands of woman, or, it may be, by the expert fingers of trained
landsmen; but in places where woman may not or can not act with
propriety,--as on shipboard, or in sea-girt towers,--men go through such
feminine work in a way that does credit to their versatility,--also to
the strength of culinary materials and implements.

The way in which Jamie Dove and his comrades knocked about the pans,
teapots, cups and saucers, etcetera, without smashing them, would have
astonished, as well as gratified, the hearts of the fraternity of
tinsmiths and earthenware manufacturers.

We have said that everything in the lighthouse was substantial and very
strong. All the woodwork was oak, the floors and walls of solid
stone,--hence, when Dove, who had no nerves or physical feelings,
proceeded with his cooking, the noise he caused was tremendous. A man
used to woman's gentle ways would, on seeing him poke the fire, have
expected that the poker would certainly penetrate not only the coals,
but the back of the grate also, and perchance make its appearance at the
outside of the building itself, through stones, joggles, dovetails,
tr