"Till after the light is started for the night, so he told me."
"An' where am I to stay all that time?"
"Crawl inter the boat-house, if you can't do any better, for I allow Zenas Stubbs is standin' on his rights as the second assistant keeper of this 'ere light."
CHAPTER VIII.
THE SURPRISES.
Uncle Zenas held possession of the kitchen, refusing admittance to Mr. Peters from without, and threatening Captain Eph and Sidney with severest penalties if they should attempt to descend, until the long beams of light from the lantern illumined the waters in the vicinity of Carys' Ledge, and then, flinging wide open the outer door, he summoned all hands to supper.
As a matter of course no one was greatly surprised, because, owing to the excessive precautions of the cook, the dwellers in the tower expected to see something very elaborate in the way of a supper; but they were not a little mystified as to how he had contrived to make so many different dishes with such raw material as was at his command.
It was "a reg'lar Thanksgivin' spread," as Captain Eph declared, and although the principal portion consisted of fish cooked in a variety of ways, the second assistant had found among the stores a sufficient amount of canned delicacies to relieve it of sameness.
Mr. Peters apparently forgot that he had been forced to spend considerable time on the rocks, when it was his desire to be inside the tower, and ate as if he had been deprived of food for many days.
"There's no use talkin', Uncle Zenas, you lay way over anybody I ever saw when it comes to cookin,' an' this 'ere lay-out is fit for the best king that ever lived," the first assistant said approvingly, as he applied himself industriously to getting a full share of all that had been placed before him. "It's growin' cold mighty fast, an' gives a man quite an appetite to loaf around on the ledge only about half dressed."