“T’ pay hain’t big an’ t’ hours is long and tedious, but there hain’t a man of us that ’ud shirk his duty in any respect. Just you look over my file of the _Lighthouse Service Bulletin_ which is printed every month. There hain’t an issue what goes by ’thout it has some mention o’ some one doin’ a brave act. Tain’t much of a mention t’ be sure, but we hain’t hankering fer medals er praise. It’s aour business t’ pertect property on t’ high seas an’ save lives when we can.
“Why, there’s some keepers as is so faithful they won’t even take a day off. I read as haow a lighthouse keeper over on t’ other coast in t’ C’lumby River section has only taken two days off duty in twenty-three years. An’ there was the old man who kept the Van Weis Point light down York way. Died when he was ninety-three years old an’ he had been in t’ service fifty-two years. Peers t’ me like a man jest natchelly gits faithful t’ minute he’s set t’ watching out fer some one else’s safety. There’s wimmen in t’ service too, an’ they’re jest t’ same; all Grace Darlings when it comes t’ a p’int o’ nerve. Look at that air woman out Frisco way who stood all night on the platform outside t’ light in a thick fog strikin’ the bell with a tack hammer because the machinery had got out o’ order. An’ there was Ida Lewis, who lived at the Lime Rock Lighthouse near Newport fer fifty-seven years. She was keeper fer thirty-two years after her father died. ’Tis said she saved as many as thirteen people from drownin’ during her life. Hain’t that a record fer ye?”
“You bet it is,” said Ray and Jack, carried away with the old man’s enthusiasm.
“Wall, from that ye can gather what I think o’ t’ Lighthouse Service. No, siree, I hain’t got many kicks agin it. There’s on’y one er two things need regulatin’! There hain’t no pension fer men who git too old fer the service an’ fer men who are injured in the service, but we’re all hopin’ that’ll be changed some day an’ I guess ’twill. An’ in the meantime every one o’ us is workin’ our hardest t’ keep t’ service jest es clean es it can be.”
The two lads were thoroughly impressed by the captain’s recital, and although they did not express it each was of the opinion that if all the men in the Lighthouse Service were as sincere as he, the organization could not help but be free from any taint.