o72 



THE AMERICAN BEE KEEPER. 



Decemher 



The heavens were slightl3- inisty, tht^ 

 wind came out of the west, and 1, sit- 

 ting on the rocks, locked betoie me 

 dreaming tlie eiidh'ss dreams boru of 

 the changeless yet ever changing sea as 

 one gazes into its depths, full of charm 

 and mystery. 



Faraway cries caused me to turn my 

 head and look about. 



A flock of screaming sea gulls flying 

 above me Lad attracted my attention I 

 was just about to leave the rocks when 

 new cries reached my ears. These were 

 piteous and broken like the sobs of a 

 child. 1 arose and, looking toward the 

 island where the lighthouse of Poulams 

 stands, saw Mother Le Pelletier, the 

 "wife of the lighthouse keeper, down on 

 her knees, waving her handkerchief, 

 "weeping and calling for help 



Workmen, busy in the neighborhood, 

 saw the woman just as 1 did. In a t'\v 

 moments the little island was crowded 

 with people 



What a painful, what a terrifying 

 spectacle! 



Opposite the point of the island, iJOO 

 meters from laud, lay the boat L En 

 fant du Desert capsized. Her sails were 

 vnder water, and on her keel, which 

 ,iOse in the air, clung Eugene Goueuan- 

 tin, the orphan His face was as pale ns 

 a winding sheet, his eyes were closed, 

 and his head, a plaything for the waves, 

 swayed from right to left With my 

 telescope 1 could follow the entire de- 

 velopment of ihe tragedy. 



The child had become helpless and 

 was ]ust about to loo.seu his hold of the 

 boat Right near him lay Michel Saui- 

 ztm, clasping the edge of the keel con- 

 vulsively, crying continually for help 



His voice, hoarse with the death stri:^;' 

 gle, was partly drowned ly tho v cvc ^ 

 rolling furioi.sly over him, as i.f reluc- 

 tant to ['nrrender their prey. 



A hundred meters from them r'^r—r^ 

 Marie Gouenantin di?rppearcd in li o 

 water, the boat's oar under bis fhcv.''.- 

 ders; but, strong and vigorous as he v;a'^, 

 he arose wiih a cry of jcy, for Le L: .1 

 seen Father Le Pelletier coming. ILt 

 lighthouse keeper, hearing the cries i ? 

 help, had junipid into his boat r.^1 

 pushed from the .shore without waitiiis; 

 for any of his comi.anious for fear of Le- 

 ing too late. 



He was oblircd to round the point. 



"Coinage! E( Id fast!" called Michel 

 Samzun to the little sailor hanging to 

 the keel. "Coi^rage! Father Le Pelle- 

 tier is here, our gallant deliverer. " 



Then on came a wave, a sheer wall 

 of water, with a foaming crest, and 

 buried the boat. When it had spent it- 

 self, Michel raised his head and looked 

 about — the keel was empty. Far away 

 the wave was now rolling, and in its 

 cruel bosom it held the orphan boy. Fi- 

 nally it disappeared in a whirl of w^a- 

 ters, boiling and swirling in a horrible 

 struggle for their victim. 



The sun Jui-tthen pierced the fog and 

 shone dimly on the raging, tumultuous 

 sea. In the meantime Father Le Pelle- 

 tier had rescued Pierre-Marie Gouenan- 

 tin, and then rowed to the place where 

 the accident occurred. Great tears roll- 

 ed over the weather stained cheeks of 

 the brave lighthouse keeper, as with in- 

 expressible tenderness he loosened Mi- 

 chel Samzun 's cramped bands from the 

 boat's keel. 



For tliree-quarters of an hour the 

 three fishermen had struggled with the 

 waves and with the winds that had 

 been blowing furiously for the last 20 

 minutes. When Michel's fingers were 

 released. Father Le Pelletier drew him 

 into the boat and placed him next to 

 Pierre- Marie it being now certain that 

 the orphan was lost, the lighthouse 

 keeper made for the island where 

 Mother Le Pelletier was waiting with 

 dry underclothing, stockings, shoes and 

 coats, while my maid had prepared a 

 drink of hot wine 



Finally Le Pelletier stepped on shore 

 and thp two poor shipwrecked mariners 

 followed The pilot shook the former by 

 both hands, .<aying over and over: 



"Brave fellow, brave fellow! Another 

 rescue added to your long list. " 



"Oh, answered Le Pelletier, pale 

 with sorro\\ and in a bitter tone, "a life 

 has been lost!' And, although worn 

 out and wet to the skin, he assisted the 

 two fisher men, whose teeth were chat- 

 tering, into -dine drv clothing. 



Michel Samzun could not open his 

 hands, so s%\>)!U'U were they They hung 

 down limp as the hands of the dead and 

 seemed to be clutching something invis- 

 ible 



Pierre-Marie, the elder — this was his 

 second shipv rnck —recovered first With 

 half suuure.-bed anger he looked at the 



