A THRILLING INCIDENT.

An incident occurred at the Key Biscayne lighthouse, during the Florida
war, which is perhaps worth recording. The lighthouse, was kept by a man
named Thompson. His only companion was an old negro man; they both lived
in a small hut near the lighthouse. One evening about dark they
discovered a party of some fifteen or twenty Indians creeping upon them,
upon which they immediately retreated into the lighthouse, carrying with
them a keg of gunpowder, with the guns and ammunition. From the windows
of the lighthouse Thompson fired upon them several times, but the moment
he would show himself at the window, the glasses would be instantly
riddled by the rifle balls, and he had no alternative but to lie close.
The Indians meanwhile getting out of patience, at not being able to
force the door, which Thompson had secured, collected piles of wood,
which, being placed against the door and set fire to, in process of time
not only burnt through the door, but also set fire to the stair-case
conducting to the lantern, into which Thompson and the negro were
compelled to retreat. From this, too, they were finally driven by the
encroaching flames, and were forced outside on the parapet wall, which
was not more than three feet wide.

[Illustration: ATTACK ON THE LIGHTHOUSE.]

The flames now began to ascend as from a chimney, some fifteen or twenty
feet above the lighthouse. These men had to lie in this situation, some
seventy feet above the ground, with a blazing furnace roasting them on
one side, and the Indians on the other, embracing every occasion, as
soon as any part of the body was exposed to pop at them. The negro