Urbana union. [volume] (Urbana, Ohio) 1862-1872, 1870-07-06
FACING DEATH IN THE AIR.
A THRILLING NARRATIVE.

A man will go blind, and mad, too,
from fear. I have seen it happen, and if
you don't mind listening, I will tell you
the story. l was apprenticed to build
er when 1 left school, and soon got to
like the trade very much, especially
when the work was perilOus, and gave
me a chance to OutdO the lads in daring.
Spider was my name in those days,
given partly on account of my long legs,
for I had out grown my proportion, and
partly because they said I could crawl
along the roof like my namesake.-
When I was about three and twenty I
was working with the famous Mr..
N, and went down with picked
hands to carry out a contract he had ta-
ken in Canada. While there I fell in
love with the prettiest girl had seen
in Canada, and that is saying a good
deal. EOr time I fancied she liked
me, and that I was getting along veAy
well with my love making; bnt I soon
found my mistake, for an old lover of
hers Joined our men, and Mary gave me
the cold shoulder directly. You may
believe this sweetheart of hers (whO
was called Ben Lloyd and I were not
the best friends in the world; but I am
not the sort of fellow to harbOr malice
and when the biddings to the weddings
went round, and I knew my chances
were gone, [ made the best of it. I kept
my heart to myself, and determined to
beat down jealousy by being great chums
with Ben.
went to the wedding, and there
were not many days that did not steal
an hour to sit by the fireside, which
which was bright and cosy and home
like as you wish to see,-Mary being the
soul of order and industry. It is not,
perhaps the usual way of driving out
envy, to go and look at the happiness
another man has done you out of. But
YOU know the prOverb says, what is |
one mans meat is anOther's poison,
and so it was. I got to look upon Mary as
a sort of sister, and Ben, had no cause !
for jealousy, although there were plenty |
of evil tongues to put him up to it.
The contract was nearly up, when a |
conductor upon one of the |
highest chimneys sprung, and the own |
ers of the works offered our master the !
job.
It's Just the sort of thing fOryOa, Har- |
ry', said Mr.. NJ, when he told us oft |
Iaccepted it off hand, and then Ben |
stepped up and said he would volunteer |
to be the second man, two being /
required.
tAll right said the MASTER you are /
the steadiest-headed fellow l have got. |
The price is q good one, and every PEN /
ny of it shall be divided between you. |
We'II not fix the day, but the first calm |
morning and get it done quietly
So it was that, four or five mornings /
after, we found ourselves ready for the 1
start. The kite by which the line at
tached to the block was sent over the
was flown and it worked well:
the rope which was to haul the cradle
up, was ready, and, stepping I'M Ben
and I began the ascent.
There had been very few people about
when we got into the yard, but as we
rot higher, saw that the news had
spread, and that the streets were filling
with sight-seers.
There are plenty of star-gazers, Ben,' /
[ said, waving my cap at them; Il dare
say they'd like see us come down with
Z rum
Can't YOU keep quiet ~ answered Ben
;peaking in u strange tone; and turning !
o look, l saw he was deadly pale, and
;at in the bottom Of the cradle, huddled /!
I'D together with his eyes fast shut {
You are not frightened, old chapP l
Isked.
whats that to you"
'Oh, nothing, only we're getting up S
,retty quickly, and you'd have a better
lead for work il you'd gradually get 6
sed to the height
He said nothing and never moved I
'hen looking up, I saw we were close q
o the tOp-a few yards more and we q
would be there; yet those who were 2
urning the windlass We're turning with I
speed. \ sudden chill ran G
through my blood, and set my flesh IC
Keeping. They had miScalculated the L
istance, and with the force they We're 4
rinding, the rope must inevitably IN
reak when the cradle came i'm contact 7
nth the block. There was no time to /
tempt to signal, only an instant to t
oint out the danger to Ben, and then i
ct hold of of the rope, and by going b
and over hand, reach the coping be- t
)re the cradle got up. This was done d
uicker than I can tell you, Ben follow o
lg. c
The cradle came on; then, as I antici- v
ated, the rope gave shrill, singing Y
)und, like a rifle ball passing through q
ne air, and snapped. Down went the 81
radle, and there we were left, nearly il
lree hundred feet in the air, with moth b