a
torrent of rich brown tea spouted at your cup, and it was full--the
saucer too, perhaps--in a moment.

But why dwell on these luxurious scenes? Reader, you can never know
them from experience unless you go to visit the Bell Rock; we will
therefore cease to tantalise you.

During breakfast it was discussed whether or not the signal-ball should
be hoisted.

The signal-ball was fixed to a short staff on the summit of the
lighthouse, and the rule was that it should be hoisted at a fixed hour
every morning _when all was well_, and kept up until an answering signal
should be made from a signal-tower in Arbroath where the keepers'
families dwelt, and where each keeper in succession spent a fortnight
with his family, after a spell of six weeks on the rock. It was the
duty of the keeper on shore to watch for the hoisting of the ball (the
"All's well" signal) each morning on the lighthouse, and to reply to it
with a similar ball on the signal-tower.

If, on any occasion, the hour for signalling should pass without the
ball on the lighthouse being shown, then it was understood that
something was wrong, and the attending boat of the establishment was
sent off at once to ascertain the cause, and afford relief if necessary.
The keeping down of the ball was, however, an event of rare occurrence,
so that when it did take place the poor wives of the men on the rock
were usually thrown into a state of much perturbation and anxiety, each
naturally supposing that her husband must be seriously ill, or have met
with a bad accident.

It was therefore natural that there should be some hesitation about
keeping down the ball merely for the purpose of getting a boat off to
send Ruby ashore.

"You see," said Forsyth, "the day after to-morrow the `relief boat' is
due, and it may be as well just to wait for that, Ruby, and then you can
go ashore with your friend Jamie Dove, for it's his turn this time."

"Ay, lad, just make up your mind to stay another day," said the smith;
"as they don't know you're here they can't be wearyin' for you, and I'll
take ye an' introduce you to my little wife, that I fell in with on the
cliffs of Arbroath not long after ye was kidnapped. Besides, Ruby,
it'll do ye good to feed like a fighting cock out here another day.
Have another cup o' tea?"

"An' a junk o' beef?" said Forsyth.

"An' a slice o' toast?" said Dumsby.

Ruby accepted all these offers, and soon afterwards the four friends
descended to t