The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1875-10-11
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ways at hand in other places, where dizzy
crags and malign clefts and chasms yearly
demand their victims. They reached the
scene of the misfortune, and a thrill of
horror shook even the most cold. blooded
as they bent over the edge of the cliff and
gazed down into the gray depths, where
naught was visible save the floating mist
that rested on the water. Vincenz had dis
appeared; far and wide death. like still
ness brooded over nights and depths. wal
ly uttered a shout that made the very air
tremble. All held their breath to listen
There was no reply.
Joseph, where are your she called
again, in voice that seemed to express
the concentrated agony of the whole tor
tured human race. All was silent. He
will never answer He is Dead sobbed
Wally, throwing herself despairingly upon
the ground now all is over Perhaps
he has only tainted or is so weak that he
can't answer said old Klettenmaier, con-
solingly, and then whispered in the girls
ear 'Wally, remember the peoplep She
rose and pushed her disheveed hair back
from her forehead. Bind the ropes to-
gether; don't stand there so helplessly-
what are you waiting for?' The men looked
at each other doubtfully. We must try
whether he can be found said Kletten-
maier. The men shook their heads, but
began to fasten the ropes together.
who will be let DOWN. 'Who?' cried
Wally, her dark eyes cleaning with an
unnatural lustre in her pale face; Il will
You, Wally-you are crazy-the rope will
scarcely bear one, tar less two 1T need
not bear more than one,' said Wally in a
hollow tone, joining the men to hurry the
work. That's impossible, Wally; you
must bind yourself and him to it, or how is
he to be drawn up? said the men helpless
ly stopping their work I'VE can do nothing
except send to the villages and order rope
to be brought
And, meantime, if he faints, he will fall
to the bottom of the chasm, and it will be
too latep cried Wally, despairingly, Il
won't wait till they come; here, unwind the
rope and see how long it is. Quick For
ward! She shook out the tangled mass,
tried the length and strength, and the men
once more bent to their task, wound up the
huge coil, and began to make systematic
preparations. The peasants stepped for
ward to form chain 1T may be long
enough to reach the bottem, but it won't
bear two!
If it won't let him be drawn up alone.
Where he has room to lie, / shall have
room enough to stand. AS soon as | have
found firm foothold I'll unfasten the rope
and bind him to it. Then you can draw
him up, and I'll wait below till the rope
comes down again That won't do; we
can't pull him up alone, for if he should be
weak and faint, lie would be bruised and
torn, If there were no one to help him and
keep him away from the ciffsr
Wally stood as if thunderbot had
struck her. She had not thought of this.
So she was to be batlied, she was not to
reach him, unless perhaps down below in
the cold bed of the Asche The rope would
not bear two she saw that herself. ''In
Gods name ~ she SAID at last, and, in spite
of her feverish agitation, she now stood
composed, calm and resolute, fastened the
rope around her waist, and took the alpcn-
stock in her hand. "Lower me down, that
may at least search for him. If find
him Ill stay and support him till you can
get ropes and let them down to us. I'll
wait patiently, though / should be obliged
to hang between earth and sky for hours
before they GOMEZ"
Old Klettenmaier threw himself on his
knees before her. "Wally, Wally, don't
do it they all say the rope is not safe. If
it must be done, let me go down of what
use is my old life, if can do no good.
We can, at least, see whether the knots
are safe, and if they break it'll be only
| who will fall, not YOU" Eyes, Wally,
listen to him, said another ''he is right,
don't do il. Wait till help comes from the
villages.
Waly tossed both arms so impatiently
that the crowd fell back. when l was a
child did wait before snatchipg the eaglet
from its nest on the crag, and am to wait
now before saving Joseph? Say no more.
l will. must go TO him. Quick-unwind
hold fast !" Even while uttering the
words she had leaped over the edge of the
cliff, and the men who formed the chain
were obliged to put forth all their strength,
SO sudden was the jerk on the rope.
God help us y said Klettenmaior, cross
ing himself and then darting off, as if
Wally's last words had given him some new
idea. All gazed in terror at the girl, as she
slowly sank into tie sea of clouds till it had
swallowed and closed over her, perhaps for
ever. The people stood silently around
| the place where she had vanished, as if it
were an open grave. The tense strain up
on the rope alone gave tidings of the bold
diver into the cloud ocean, and all eyes
rested upon it, to see ii it broke or would
support her. Whenever one of the hastily
tied knots was unwound, each heart throb-
bed still more anXiously. viii it hold :
Large drops of Precipitation stood upon
the foreheads OF the men who formed the
chain, and as the coil unwound their hands
| involuntarily again tested the knots on
which depended human life Thus min
ute after minute passed heavily away, as if
time were also bound to rope which the
powers of evil would not unite. The coil
continued to unwind Wally must still be
hanging in the air. had not yet found foot
hold.
"The rope is almost gone said the last
man on the chain; sit won't be long
enough" "Holy Virgin, help us :" cried
all with one voice. sit won't be long
enough" Only few yards were left, and
still there were no signs from below that
Wally had reached her goal. The men
pressed forward as near the edge of the
precipice as they dared, and gave as much
of the rope as possible. If il we're not long
enough, all would be vain, and they must
draw poor Wally up, to make the perilous
adventure afresh. Suddenly the coil ceased
uawlnding, the rope grew slack-a terrible
moment Had 1t broken, or had its burden
found foothold?
The women prayed aloud, the children
shrieked. The men began to slowly wind
up the rope, but only few feet came in
then 1t resisted. 1t had not broken = held
Wally had found footing. And now
bark A faint cry rose from the abyss,
and every throat shouted an answer. Once
more the rope grew slack and they wound
it up this was repeated several times.
Wally seemed TO be climbing up the rocky
cliff. In the mean time day had fully
dawned, but fine cold rain trickled down,
| and the mist below grew still denser. Now
the rope suddenly took an oblique direc-
ton. There was strong pull to the right
| the men yielded to it and moved from the
left to the right of the path. Wally still
seemed to be climbing higher they were
forced to wind up more and more. "Thank
God" said some of the men, ''he mas not
fallen so very far-if he is so near the top,
he may be alive !"
Perhaps she's only looking for him.