River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1873-09-09

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above.
You will have to go to Bob Andrews
for rope, and you can't get back tonight.
Let Win 90 down TO camp first, and bring
I up some coffee and hard tack, then he can
send some supper down to me. Tell him
to bring the strongest fish line here, too
He will stay all night, then, while you are
gone"
"Uood" cried Charlie, "You will
come out all right, for your appetite
sticks to you! will send Will off at
onee.p
The sun was almost down when Will
returned, Charlie shouted
"Don't grow respondent. shall be
back before daylight, sure.0
For IN hour or more the old eagles
had been sailing about, uttering mournful
cries and searching for their nest. Poor
birds II would never receive them again,
and wether the lutte ones were alive or
dead, | knew not, for the bag had fallen
with the tree it was not with me when |
jumped
Ere it grew quite dark, the coffee and
bareback which Will had brought came
swinging down to me, and after | had
finished my meal aud sent the pail up
again, my blanket came unexpectedly
down, very welcome, though, for the night
was chill.
AT times Will would lean over the ledge
and talk. lie could not see me, and
strange enough it must have sounded to
him to hear a voice from the abyss reply
INN 10 .
he babe me good night, telling me to call
him should need anything, and rolling
himself in his blanket, went TO sleep.
As for me, could not sleep, and so
sat on my narrow shelf, wondering how
far il was TO the ground below, and whether
any other person had ever been where |
now was. At first when | moved, my
ankle would give me u terrible twinge,
but after rubbing Il well it did not trouble
me much. My watch, which was in my
vest pocket, had been stopped by the jar
of my fall, and so | could only guess at
the time, as the hours went slowly by
l could hear hoot-owl somewhere,
making the night mOurnful with his cry
Once in while my imagination would
conJure up my eyes that cleaned at ME
from the surrounding darkness. often
heard stealthy steps in the woods below,
steps thaS | wondered at, but could not
account for.
o, that long, long night! As tims went
on / grew more and more nervous. Il
seemed as though l could not remain
another instant as ] was. The rock was
hard my position cranpod my whole
body stiff. At last, | fell into state of
i-unconsciousness, only TO live over
again the frightfEl terror of my fall, awak.
in in a cold sweat and trembling in every
limb.
Would the day ever come 2 ] heard
loon passing overhead, and joyfully greet,
Ell his lonely note as the harbinger of the
approaching morn. But was doomed to
disappointment again, for after waiting
and watching an hour, the distant eastern
horizon that 1 faced was as dark as ever.
[ was cold, very cold. / tried to draw
my legs up toward me, but could not.
Was L really freezing? At length | could
stand my terror no longer, and shouting
loudly, awakened Will lie came to the
rock above me, and called OUT
GLOW goes it, Fera? What do you
want? Been asleep?n
40, WILL / groaned al am freezing.
No; cannot sleep; | dare no Sleep Is il
almost morning ?"
"lIalf.past three" he answered. "Cheer
up, my dear boy! It's almost day, and
Charlie will soon be hear. will make
you some coffee. Thatll warm you
up"
In short time the strong, invigoraling
beverage came down to me, and warmth
and spirits returned as / drank. A chat
with Will followed. and he had Just re-
marked that he would lie down again for
o little time, when long shout came
ringing up rrvna the darkness of the woods
below,
" It's Charlie It's Charlie ~ / cried,
every nerve tingling with JOY.
Will hustled about overhead, and |
could hear the flames leap and roar rs he
tossed great logs upon the fire. Soon |
heard steps passing along by the foot OF
the cliff beneath.
" Are you there, FeraY"
Yes; and all right You have been
very quick, my good friend" replied.
81 didn't stop at all at old Bob's,"
answered Charlie. "You will be with us
very soon now" And heard him hurry
ing along in the darkness toward the path
that climbed the ledge.
A few moments more of waiting, and a
rope came dangling down to me, cross
bar tied to the end
Although stiff and sore, for my ankle
had again begun to pain me severity,
succeeded in seating myself upon the bar,
and grasping the rope above my head
with both hands, gave the signal 20 my
friends to draw away.
Up, up, with difficulty keeping myself
from swinging heavily against the great
rock, rosc,---nearor, nearer, until
Charles joyful voice, just above me,
CRIED
"Give mo your hand, FcraD
And in "a moment more | found myself
clasped in the strong arms that had saved
me, two pairs of eyes looked out through
teaT-drops upon me, and sweet voices
sounding in my ears The sudden royul.
sion of feeling war too much for me, weak
A a n r.