Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1852-04-14


his countenance, as he surveyed the "ol
fellow" from head to foot " But, te
me, did you ever know any body walk upo
it, eh 2"
j, "Oh, dear, yes. Only last summer,
young Oxonian ran from end to end of il
as l seed with my own eyes,
Did be ?"
/. "True," put in Deschamp. al remem
Der now, it Was young Manners of Bra
zennose aud didn't he brag about i =
"Him ~ exclaimed Lord Swindon, will
a toss of the heal, that fellow, poor milk
sop? Not" continued he, hastily, tha
it is anything of feat. Pooh :"
"Not feat :" murmured his compan
ions; and, with one accord, they stretched
forth their necss, and, gazing down the
dim abyss, shuddered at what they beheld
Well they might. The beam in question
rose at height of about one hundred feet,
and naught beneath it was there but a
gloomy chasm, only broken in one or two
places by crumbling beams, and not even
one Of these was by many feet near it.
"Oh, Swinion, how can you say SOP"
II can say it, and l do," snappishly
replied the fiery youth, his brain heated
with wine /; "and at any rate, what that
fellow Maj rs has done, can do. So
look out %
Thus speaking, he rccklessly stepped on
the beam, and, despite the remonstrances
of his companions, was in the act of pro-
ceeding along it, when his arm was firmly
grasped, and a low, deep-toned voice ex-
claimed, "My lord, doyo court horrible
death? Do not thus risk your life for
naught."
The individual who thus unbesitatingly
interfered was evidently unknown to all
present, being casual visitor to the castle,
who had just joined the group. With an
imprecation, the madcap youngster jerked
his arm away, and sprang forward along
the beam. Its surface was rough, rounded
and uneven; and as he ran along, swsrv-
ing from side b side, every instant in
danger Of being precipitated downward,
with the awful certainty Of being dashed
to pieces, bis friends could hardly restrain
themselves from shrieking with terror,
though such course would probably have
had the immediate effect of discomposing
the equilibrium of their rash companion,
and so inducing the catastrophe they fully
anticipated, without the power Of preven-
ton. Had the adventursr's presence of
mind one moment failed-had his self
possession and confidence wavered or
forsaken him-had his brain sickened, or
his eye turned dim for single second
had he made the least false step-had his
footing slipped on the Shiny surface of the
beam-had he tripped against any Of the
Knots protecting from the rotten wood
which had moulded away around them
1t once would he have been hurled into
Tread eternity.
But an unseen hand sustained him, and /
safely be reached the extremity of the
,eam, ruthlessly wrenched the trembling
'wl from its perch, waved it aloft in
riumph, and then, with proud ejacula-
ion, began to rer &c his steps, with it
and futtsrns in his hands.
" hen be reached the centre of the frail
oeam, which creaked and bent terribly with
lis comparatively small weight, he paused,
lrew himself rp to his full height-air
lbove, air beneath, air all around, naugbt
'ut air-and deliberately tore the head of
he owl by main force from its body.
laving perpetrated this cruel deed, he
ossed the bloody head among the breath
ess spectators, and sharply dashed the
rrithing body into the void beneath his
eet. lie cOolly watched its descent, until
lay shapeless mass on the stones below:
hen, with slow, bravadoing mien, he
walked back to his terrified party, and
,oastingly demanded of them whether j
hey thought "Manners could beat that?"
"My lord" solemnly said the stranger,
you have not performed the act either of {
brave or a sane man, and you have CON-
nitted despicable deed on one of Gods
lelplcss creatures. You ought to thank
Him, my lord, from the depth of your
oul, that he saved you from the penalty
rou incurred" l
"Wbat do you say ?" feIcely demanded c
Iord Swiadon. "Do you dare to insinuate
owsrdice against me! 2" and with flashing
row, he assumed threatening attissde.
81 know not, my lord, whether you are
rave or not, but what have witnessed q
Ias certainly not an exercise of true
ourage," was the passionlsss reply.
"And yet I'll wager cool thousand
hat VOL darenst do it.