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At Cape Peril
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the room. Anxious questions and a babble of speculations filled the air; it was some minutes before the crowd could be sufficiently calmed to listen to Buffum's story.
"My heart near cracked them two hours I war tied up a-thinking about my light bein' out," he moaned. "That thar fire won't last till day." he added with a sudden attack of dismay.
"Listen here, Cap'n," put in one of the fishermen, "soon as you tell us yo' tale I'll go up and fire a shanty near the settlement. That 'll keep goin' till daybreak that ain't far off. Tomorrow a lightship will come down. Tain't no use to worry."
The words seemed to put more life into the old man, and he launched off on his story.
