Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1875-05-06

| Snuoocl VI lear ana dread-and there
was digging my nails into the crevices
OF the rock, whose grsy moss crumbled
unoer my fingers; while With horrible
dread seeming to turn me into stone it.
sell, drew up NY legs, and covered close
70 the rock, ready even to seize anything
with my teeth If it would have made me
any more safe.
That fit of horrible fear only lasted q
few minutes, and then I seemed to re,
cover my nerve; and, standing up, be.
gan to wonder how | had come there
and to try and recall the lodges l had
climed along the day before. had rec.
ognized the ledge again from its pecul-
lar shape and The steep rock at the end
which stopped further travelling in one
direction; while for moment | fancied
that trick had been played me, and
that had been lowered down by rope.
Under the influence of that thought /
shouted two or three times; but my voice
seemed lost, and the cold chill of fear
began to creep over me again, so that
felt that If l wished to save my life
must night for 1t. So, thoroughly awak-
ened to my danger, and now feeling that
from the excitement of what / had gone
through must have climbed down in nv
sleep, l cheered myself on with the idea
that II could climb down could climb
up again; and then cautiously made
my way to the end of the ledge, when a
thougnt struck me, and l again sat
down.
Was it possible that had climbed up ?
That wanted little thinking out; and
shlvering there in my shirt and trousers,
with my bare feet bleeding, and making
the rock feel slippery, sat on thinking
while the more thought, the more pos
slole 1t seemed that | had climbed up
from the ledge of rock that ran along to
! the cave beneath me.
The ledge beneath me, as l looked
down, did not seem far; and / began to
let myself down over the side-tirst my
legs; then, was hanging over to my
chest; then, with my fingers only cling.
ing to the rough rock, / was resting with
my toes upon point but feeling my
hands giving way, lowered myself yet
more and more, still feeling about with
my feet, which could now find no rest.
AS looked down, the distance had
only seemed few feet; but the moon
light was deceptive, and found that the
next ledge was beyond my reach. /
| could not look down to see if ] could
drop, and it was only by an effort that /
kept the cold chill of fear from seizlng
upon me again. A moments thought
treasured me; and dangerous rs it
seemed right there, on the face of such
precipice, closed my eyes and dropped.
Then, all trembling as Twas laughed;
for had only dropped a few inches, and
was upon broader ledge than before !;
aud without stopping to rest, however,
felt that if stood still l should soon
turn giddy with fright and fall, for the
ledge was only few inches wide where
| stood; so, again rousing myself made
an effort to climb up once more. Seiz-
ing a projecting fragment of the rock, |
drew myself up, and got my chin above
my hands, seeking all the while for
resting place for my feet, and at last get
ting my right foot upon tiny ledge; but
all at once, as / was making an effort to
get a little higher, just at the moment
when put forth my whole strength, my
bloody foot slipped from the ledge and !
was hanging by my hands TO the rough
piece of rock, my body swinging to and
fro, my nails being torn from their roots,
while what | fancied then was the death
sweat stood upon my face, and seemed
20 be trickling among the roots of my
hair.
think once exclaimed, "God help
me! !" and then my brain was one wild
state of confusion; whilst the greatest
difficulty seemed to me to realize that
was going to die-to fall headlong into
the sea. And even in my horror / could
picture how the water would fly spark
ling up In the moonlight; while falling
from such height should be killed
by striking upon one OF the rocks
just beneath the waterfall below me
being mass of foam. Now, | thought,
how long would my arms bear the weight
of my body, and why had | not practiced
them more to such exertionY Then,
rousing myself once more, j made an
effort and tried to lind a resting place.
Once | thought / would loose my hold
and end my misery; but ! was c.inging
for life, and held on.
1t could only have been for a minute
or two, but the time seemed endless;
while the thoughts flashed through my
mind in wild confusion, faster and
faster, as felt my muscles giving way.
AT last felt that must fall, for my arms
would bear the dead weight no longer;
80 in last despairing effort / drew
myself up, found for an instant rest
ing place for my feet, then one knee was
up by my hands, and the next instant
should have been lying painting upon
shelf; but the effort was too late, and
believe wild cry tore from my throat
as lost nv hold, and could feel the air
whistling by my ears as / fell down,
down, what seemed an endless distance
Then came the cold plunge in the
water-down into darkness, with the
waves laundering in my ears, and the
| strangling waters gushing into my nose.
| | could not think; but nature seemed TO
be prompting me to struggle on for my
! life, and as Irose uninjured TO the surface
| | struck out feebiy 10 reach the rocks.
1t was wonder that / was not killed,
for all along beneath US the shore Is
sown, as it were, with rocks of all sizes,
| covered at high water; but i fell IN a
deep part-there ] think it must have
been where throw this stone. Seems a
long time falling, don't it? Now, there,
where you see the splash, and that's just
| in front of the cave, that runs farther In
| than we've ever found man TO pene-
trate as yet--for it's always got water
for floor, and boat can only go in for
about thirty yards, when 1t grows. mar
row, and anyone would have TO swim as