Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1861-01-04
Gi9I)t 2co0il,e.
The Samphire Gataerers s story.
BY AUTuUR HU3E PLUSKETT.

L
scended.
How fearful I exclaimed. scarcely dar-
lag to lock down precipico at least six
hundred feet in depth.
To repeat the words that had occupied
nearly an hour, and emitting the numer-
our digressions, the samphme gatherer'
story ran thus:
At the close of the last century lie and
his father, samphire gatherers by trade,
had assisted in lowering one Mr. Clements
down the cliffs under-rather extraordinary
circumstances. Mr.. Clements was return
ing home along the downs from the then
retired but now fashionable town of -,
when he recognized beat a mile from
shore, strongly resembling one in which
his wife and sister were in the frequent
habit of passing hours in a little bay or in
let near his house. He hastened home on
ly to have all doubts removed as to their
identity and hurrying back to the spot
where he first observed them, found to his
extreme terror, that the beat had been de-
serted by its occupants, who had been seen
wandering on the rocks undcr the cliff
TO approach them by the sea on either side
in time to rescue them from their impend-
ing danger was impossible. The tide was
rising fast, and their destruction appeared
inevitable. In this emergency the sam
phire gatherers were thought Of and sought
for; and declining all their offers, Glenn
ents insisted upon descending the cliff, in
the hope of placing his wife upon some
rock or spot where she might remain in
safety till the arrival Of the boat from.
Thus far had the samphire gatherer got in
his story. which be was relating to me as
was strolling along the cliffs, when he
paused. as I have already mentioned, and
pointed to the spot where Mr.. Clements
descended
Following his example, and taking a
seat on the grass, he continued his tale
[ give it in his own words:
Well, sir when we found we could not
persuade him to let one of us 90 down in
his place, father, as usual, secured a crow
bar into the earth, a few feet from the
edge of the cliff and then twining the rope
once around it. so as to give US the stead
ier hold on Mr.. Clements, fastened it un-
der his arms. We then made him change
his coat for one of our fr0cks, such as you
see the common people wear in these parts;
and taught him how to put both feet a.
gainst the side of the cliff-as it we're thus :;
and made him take the rope between his
hands just above the knot, and told him to
lean out from the rock as far as he could,
and to work downwards with his feet, and
look up, and keep look out for stones and
rubbish which the rope might dislodge, =
We told him all this, sir and babe him
not be frightened at the birds, as they
would not harm him-the sun had set, and
they always make horrible screeching if
you 90 down the cliff after they are gone
to roost and that if he altered his mind,
and wished to come back he had only to
give the rope couple Of pulls and we'd
pull him up directly. Mono, said Mr..
Clements, there's no necessity for that
When | get to the bottom, wait fora quar-
ter of an hour if at the end Of that time
I give no signal for you to pull ne up. you
will know that the ladies are safe, and then
make what haste you can, and get a boat
from --- I ali ready now, says be
in faint voice and his teeth all the while
chattering with fear Never was man so
frightened as he was at that moment =
Well, sir, father and | once more lifted the
rope, and Mr.. Clements leaned back over
the edge Of the cliff. Down he went. We
soon lost sight of him.
Working with his feet, as father had
told him, we slowly supplying out rope as
he erequired it, he moved safely down for a
bit; then he rested on jutting rock. All
this time he kept bis eyes fixed On the sky,
Pressing cautiously with his feet against
the chalk; mis- body almost at right an
giles with the cliff: his hands grasped the
rope, Or sheltering his face from showers
of stones and dirt which it dislodged. He
had got about hundred feet from the top,
when suddenly slipping from the cliff, his
chest and face were swung violently against
1t. He endeayored to regain his footing
against the rocks, and in doing so broke
through a resolution which he had formed.
and looked beneath HIM 1t is q rare sight
that, for the first time Well do Iremem-
Der how my head swan as | looked at the
water, far below; and the waves that one
could see, and not hear. as they broke over
the shingles. Presence Of mind, on which
Nr. Clements so yauHted himself, where
was 1t then? He was about to pull the
rope; but he thought of his poor wife, and
one thaught of her was enough. On Ee
went. To regain his footing was impos-
sible. Father and kept gradually lower
ing the rope; with his face to the cliff, his
hands outstretched catching at each object
as be passed; enveloped in a shower of
chalk and stones, which lie had not the
strength to avoid gasping and painting
for breath, poor Mr.. Clements sided for
another hundred feet. Here the cliff. arch
ed inwards, forming an immefse hollow,
like yonder rock, sir; and swinging to and
fre, and round and round, as it were be-
twixt heaven and earth, down he went
At one moment the wide ocean met his
dizzy gaze; at another, focks Of the star
tied birds few around his head, utterlng
their shTill and angry cries. Again, sir,
he found himself sliding down against the
side of the cliff, bis flesh all sore and torn,
and his body and arms in absolute torture
from the pressure of the rope. Again IN
agony he made frantic effort to gain a
footing; but in SO doing, fastened one of
his legs IN narrow opening in the rock =
Vain was the struggle to release it, sir;-
y