The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1874-01-30

that he had frequently periled his life for
20 ether reason than to make himself noto-
rious. 1t was this feeling that animated
bim to his present enterprise, and it need
ed only the challenge of his playmatcs to
send him up the perilous. height Of the
church spire.
The village had but one street and the
church was at one end of it. The villagers
were all at work in their shops or on their
farms or were i'll :heir houses, and none
were near except Toms friends, who soon
began to perceive that Tom was in earnest,
and that the matter was far moro serious
. than they had first anticipated.
The roof of the church was about fifty
feet high, and the spire rose fifty feet
abovs this, 50 thai its whole height from
the ground was about one hundred feet.
The staging was divided into successive
stories, each of which (about ten feet in
height was formed by loose planks laid
across the rafters, that passed from the
main beams to the house. Ladders passed
from one story to another, so that the
whole could be easily climbed.
Up this staging went rash Tom Balch.
He assembled half way without perceiving
any weakness in the structure land the
imPuniUy with which he had ventured so
far made him determined to 90 on to the
very top.
lie looked back for a moment, waved
his hat triumphantly at his friends below,
aud then continued his foolish undertak-
ing. The boys below looked up, but gave
10 response.
Tom now went on with wreckless rapid
ity, surmounting ladder after ladder, and
hurrying across Ihe successive foorings at
| rate which made the vibration of the
| staging very perceptible.
lie thought this too trifling to call for
special attention. 1t was nothing, he said
to himself, more than would be produced
on any staging by the tramp of Il man
walking upon its toOrings ; bat as he as
cended higher the vibration increased, and
this was accompanied by slight swaying of
the whole structure, that inspired alarm at
( last in the breast of the thoughtless
climber.
a vague fear came to him. Something
eOas the matter But by this time he was
at the top of the staging, and close by the
peak of the spire, with its gilt ball and iron
vane.
But no sooner had he reached the ball
than the vibrations ceased, and suddenly
. the boards on which he stood seemed to
sink beneath him. His first thought was
that plank had given way. Mechanical
ly he flung himself forward, and grasped
the iron rod of the weathsrcock with both
hands. The next instant there was noise
like thunder below him, and down went
the whole mass of woodwork to the grOundl
AS it fell, the boys screamed and fled in
every direction and turning again and
looking up i'll awful dread, they saw Tom
clinging to the iron vane. His hands
clutched this firmly, and he had seated
himself upon the ball, clasping it with his
legs.
For some time not a word was said.
Nothing indeed could be said. The boys
stood paralyzed, looking and expecting to
see Tom fall. But he held firmly, and
at last his voice came down to them from
his lofty perch and reused them to early
action.
Boys" he called, ''are you there?"
| His back was turned to them where he sat,
so that he could not see them.
eyes," they shouted in answer.
go and get help, quick - was his cry.
| At this the boys all started on full run
! for the village, and spread the news in all
| directions. Soon a crowd had gathered,
full of excitement ana terror. AS they
looked up and saw the boy on his giddy
faaIiprr of horror tOOL
of them. But after the first shock was
! over, they called to him, and found that
he was not exhausted and that he was
not dizzy. These two facts inspired hope
among the spectators, and at once every
one began to make proposals as to the best
way of rescuing him.
Some of the widest talked of re-erecting
the staging, but that was soon decided to
be impossible.
Others suggested chain of ladders
but little discussion brought out the fact
that there were no LADDERS in the village
long enough or strong enough for the pur-
pose.
One man proposed shooting an arrow,
with a string attached, which should fail
over the weathercock but this plan was
| dismissed as no one in town was expert
! archer enough to send an arrow exactly
over the spire.
This brought out shrewd old man, who
had thus far been silently considering the
| situation.
.'Have any of you boys a kite ?'' he
/ asked.
eyes," said one.
s"Then hurry and bring it here as soon
rs you can. I'll go home and bring some
things. Quick, now y
Away went the boy for his kite, while
the old man, who was retired sea-captain,
hurried TO his house in wagon which had
inst came up. In less than quarter OF