CHAPTER XII
WHERE IS TROUBLE?
Teddy Martin came racing back up the sandy beach in answer to hissister's cry.
"What's the matter?" asked the Curlytop boy. He had been watching adistant fish hawk diving for a fish, and Ted was anxious to see if thebird got something for his dinner and for the little, whistling fishhawks in the nest back in the dead tree. "What happened, Janet?" heinquired.
"Something in the pot took my rag doll! They took it right out of myhands--pulled it away," explained Janet. "I guess it was a lobster,Teddy."
"Maybe it was a nellifunt," murmured Trouble. "I mean a little, babynellifunt," he went on, as he looked at the small size of the lobsterpots and thought how large an elephant was.
"It couldn't be a lobster," declared Teddy.
"Why not?" Janet wanted to know.
"'Cause there aren't any lobsters in those pots," answered her brother."They take the lobsters out before they bring the pots to shore."
"Maybe they forgot this lobster," suggested the little Curlytop girl."Anyhow, something in the pot took my doll away."
"How?" Teddy wanted to know, for he had been so busy watching the fishhawk that he had not seen what Janet had done.
"I was showing William how the lobsters went into the traps," Janetexplained, "and I made believe my rag doll was a crawling lobster and Istuck her in the net hole. Then she went all the way in, 'causesomething took hold of her and pulled her."
"It couldn't be a lobster!" cried Teddy.
"Well, you just look!" challenged Janet.
She pointed to the black, wooden pot of laths--the one she had thrusther rag doll into. This pot was partly under one or two others, so thatthe inside could not be seen clearly. But, having heard his sister'sstory, Teddy began lifting off the covering pots so he could get at theone to which Janet pointed, Janet falling to, to help him.
When this had been done the three children clearly saw, through thecracks between the laths, something moving about inside the pot.
"Oh, it's my doll!" exclaimed Janet.
"She's movin' like she was alive," said Trouble.
"You're right! A lobster has her!" cried Teddy. "A lobster must havebeen left in one of the pots when they came ashore or when they wereleft here. And when you stuck the doll in, the lobster thought it wassomething good to eat, I guess, and grabbed it."
"Yes, that's how it was," Janet agreed. "But, Teddy," she demanded, "howam I going to get my doll again? I want her back."
"It's only a rag doll!" scoffed Teddy.
"I don't care if she is only a rag doll," and now Janet began to cry, "Iwant her back! I want my rag doll!"
"Oh, I'll get her for you!" said Teddy. "I'll get her."
"How can you?" his sister wanted to know.
"THERE YOU ARE!" TEDDY CRIED, AS HE SAFELY GOT THE DOLLOUT.]
"There's a little door in the top of the lobster pot," explained Teddy."Captain Oleson showed me about it. The fishermen open this door to liftout the lobsters, 'cause they can't pull 'em through the hole in thefish net. Here, I'll show you!"
He pointed to the top of the pot. Some of the laths were made into theshape of a little trap door, on hinges, with a wooden button to hold itshut. Ted turned this button, and then he and his sister and brothercould look down into the pot at the lobster's back.
There was the big creature, with its big claws--a sort of dark greenishcreature in color, though it would turn a bright red when boiled. And inits claws, or, at least, near them, was Janet's rag doll.
"Oh! Oh! Look at him!" murmured Trouble, bending close to the pot.
"Look out he doesn't pinch your nose!" warned Ted.
"How you going to get my doll out so he doesn't pinch you?" Janet wantedto know. For she saw that one could easily reach a hand into the lobsterpot through the trap door in the top.
"I'll do it!" declared Teddy. "Here, Jan, you take this stick and pokehim. He'll reach out his claws to grab the stick and he won't see mewhen I grab for the doll. You tease him with the stick."
"All right, but you be careful!" said Janet. "I like my rag doll, but Idon't want you to get pinched, Teddy."
"I'll be careful," said her brother. "He isn't a very lively lobster."
This was true. A lobster, being rather big and clumsy, is not as quickwith his claws as is a crab. When first taken from the water lobsterscan lift their claws well up over their head and pinch very hard. Butthey can not do it as quickly as a crab can. And when lobsters have beenout of water for some time they get slow and sluggish, and seem hardlyable to lift their claws which, often, are half as large as themselves.Of course, when a lobster does pinch, he pinches much harder than acrab. And old, big lobsters have teeth on their claws so they can crusheven a clam or an oyster shell, I should imagine.
But, as Teddy said, this lobster was slow. He could reach his claws outstraight in front of him, and pull or pinch with them, but he could notraise them above his head. Now Janet did as Teddy told her, and teasedthe creature with a stick Teddy handed her.
The lobster moved about his long feelers, one on either side of his headnear his eyes. He slowly reached out his biggest claw and took hold ofthe stick.
"Oh, he's pinching it!" cried Trouble.
"Go ahead, Teddy! Get the doll now!" yelled Janet.
Her brother quickly reached his hand inside the lobster pot and liftedout the "bundle of rags," as he called it, but which Janet called NancyLou, her doll.
"There you are!" Teddy cried, as he safely got the doll out. "Now he canpinch as much as he likes!"
The children remained near the lobster pots for some little time longer,watching the creature slowly move about inside. It seemed to be the onlyone caught, the others having been taken out. This one must have beenforgotten, Teddy thought.
"He's funny," remarked Trouble, as he poked another stick in through thecracks of the pot, and saw the lobster grab it. "He's funny, an' I likeshim!"
"Well, I'm glad you've found something else to like besides anelephant," laughed Janet, as she wiped some sand off her rag doll'sdress.
"Oh, I like nellifunts, too," declared William. He was true to his firstlove, you see.
"Well, come on to the lighthouse," suggested Teddy, and so the childrenwent on down the beach.
The lighthouse was in rather a lonesome place, and visitors seldom wentthere. The lighthouse keeper was always glad of company, for his was asolitary life, and he was glad to see the children.
"Come in!" he invited them. "Come in and have some lemonade!"
"Does lemonade grow in lighthouses?" asked Trouble.
"Well, some is growing here, or springing up, whatever you like to callit, because my wife just made it," explained the keeper, with a laugh."It's a hot day, and I've just finished cleaning the light, so she mademe some. But there's more than I need, and I want you to have some ofit."
The Curlytops and Trouble were very willing, you may be sure, to drinksome of the cool, sweet lemonade, as the day was a hot one and they werewarm from their walk down the sandy beach.
Mrs. Dent, the keeper's jolly wife, gave the children some crackers tonibble with their lemonade, and they had quite a little party there inthe lighthouse.
"Could we see the light?" asked Teddy, for he was interested in suchthings.
"Of course you can," answered Mr. Dent.
"What does you want a light for in the daytime?" asked Trouble.
"We don't, little man," answered Mr. Dent, with a laugh. "The light islighted only at night, so the sailors, far out at sea, can tell by itsflash where they are. But during the day I must clean the lamp andpolish the glass so it will be clear and bright. Come, I'll show you."
The Curlytops and Trouble mounted up a little winding stair in the towerof the lighthouse until they reached the upper room. This was completelyof glass--glass all around it, but not ordinary window glass. The glassof the lighthouse tower was specially made lenses, so arranged as tos
end straight beams of light for many miles out to sea.
In the middle of the tower room, on a big iron stand, stood a greatlantern--a lantern that held many quarts of oil. It was the largest lampthe children had ever seen.
"I wouldn't want to clean that lamp chimney!" said Janet, as she lookedat it. "I don't believe I could even lift it."
"No, I don't believe you could," said Mr. Dent. "And if you should dropit and break it, that would be very sad."
"Look at the big wicks!" exclaimed Ted, pointing to them.
"Yes, and they must be trimmed several times during the night to makesure the light is always bright," said the keeper. "It would not do tohave the light grow dim or go out."
"Are all lighthouses like this?" Janet wanted to know.
"No," answered Mr. Dent. "In some the lamp is an electric one, and inothers it burns gas. This is an old-fashioned light, and has been heremany years. There is some talk of taking it away and putting a newelectric light in its place. When they do, I suppose I shall lose myjob," he added, with a short laugh.
"That's what Mr. Keller is afraid of," remarked Janet.
"Who is Mr. Keller, and why is he afraid of losing his place?" asked Mr.Dent.
"It's 'cause he lost Mr. Narr's keys," explained Ted, telling the story.
"Hum," remarked Mr. Dent. "Lost in the sand, eh? Well, it's pretty hardto find anything once it gets in the sand. You might pick it up rightaway quick, and, again, it might be years before you saw it again, andthen it would only be by accident."
"We'll look again when we go back," said Janet to her brother.
"Yes," he agreed. "And I hope we'll find the ring and the keys."
Mr. Dent showed the children all about the lighthouse, and even turnedon the machinery that revolved the light. It was this turning of thelight that made it flash.
There were several kinds of lights in the beacons along the coast, thekeeper explained. Some were fixed white or red lights, and some wererevolving or flashing red or white lights. In these last there was anarrangement so the sailor saw first a flash of light, and then a patchof darkness would come.
"Every lighthouse has a different number of flashes," explained Mr.Dent, "and the sailors, by counting them, can tell which house it is.Then they know on what part of the coast they are."
"What makes the machinery go and turn the light?" asked Ted.
"A big weight, like the weights in a grandfather's clock," said thekeeper. "Each day I must wind up this weight to the top of the tower.Then it goes down slowly, turning a shaft, or axle, and by means of cogwheels the light is revolved."
"Could we come some time at night and see it work?" asked Ted, eagerly.
"Oh, yes, come any time you wish," replied the good-natured Mr. Dent.
Down the winding tower stairs went the Curlytops and Trouble. As theyentered the living room (for the keeper and his wife lived in thelighthouse) Mrs. Dent called out:
"What about some more crackers and lemonade, children? It must be a hotclimb up in the tower on a day like this."
"It was," said her husband. "I'm ready for more lemonade."
So more refreshments were served, and as Trouble sipped his drink andnibbled his cracker he said:
"This is lots of fun! It's 'most as much fun as a circus!"
"Is it, little man? I'm glad of that!" laughed Mrs. Dent.
There were many sea curiosities in the keeper's home, and the childrenlooked at them until Ted and Janet decided it must be time to go back totheir cottage.
"Maybe we'll have time to take another look for Mr. Keller's keys,"suggested Teddy.
"I hope we find them," added his sister.
They started away from the lighthouse, the Curlytops did, but, suddenly,Janet turned and exclaimed:
"Where is Trouble?"
"I thought he was with you," said Ted.
"And I thought he was with you," said Janet. "I guess he must have runback to listen to that big sea shell. I'll get him."
She hurried back into the lighthouse while Ted waited.