"Wa'al, Sonny, that 'ere bothered me so much when I first came here, that I studied the thing up in a dictionary the inspector lent me, till I knew all about it. You know what a 'pyramid' is in shape? Wa'al, jest cut off the top, and what's left will be the frustum. It's like a good many other words that puzzle a fellow, mighty simple when you study into 'em." At this point conversation was interrupted by the sound of angry voices below, and, going to the stairway, Captain Eph shouted: "What's happenin' down there?" "It's that 'ere Sammy," Uncle Zenas replied. "He's kickin' up a terrible row out here, an' I wish you'd poke your head through the window so's to make him mind his eye!" "What's he doin'?" "Tryin' to get in, an' I've got the door locked." "Why don't you open it?" "'Cause he can't come in till supper's ready. He went amblin' 'round the ledge gettin' up his surprise, an' now he'll stay where he is for a spell." "I declare it does seem as if all hands of this crew had gone crazy since daybreak!" Captain Eph exclaimed as he went to the window. Opening it he looked out for an instant, and then, his weather-beaten face convulsed with mirth, he said to Sidney: "Come here, Sonny, an' have a squint at Sammy. I declare he looks jest like a big grasshopper tryin' to crawl up a blade of grass." After some difficulty, Sidney succeeded in getting a glimpse of Mr. Peters as he stood on the iron ladder in front of the kitchen door, pounding on it vigorously with his fist. "Ahoy there!" Captain Eph cried as soon as he could control his mirth. "What'er you doin', Sammy Peters?" "I'm tryin' to get in, that's what I'm doin'!" the first assistant cried angrily. "That pig of a Zenas Stubbs has locked the door in my face!" "Go down an' 'tend to your surprise, Sammy," the keeper commanded. "Uncle Zenas allows that he's got jest as much right to rig up fool things as you have, an' it looks to me as if the only way was to hold on till he's ready to spring on us whatever he's got." "How long will that be?" Mr. Peters demanded angrily. "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.