The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1876-03-10

weight had overcome the resistance,
and, trusting wholly to the rope,
he had slipped from his foot
ing. The hope occurred to me that the
evident resistance which still restrained
the free revolutions of the winch might
prevent the descent being so rapid as to
endanger life or limb so that he would
possibly land in safety with only a Sc
we're fright and shaking. These thoughts
crowded pell-mell upon my mind, at the
first shock of surprise. But conceive
my horror when, with a loud jar, the
noise of the wheels ceased, and the ropes
no longer descended.
"How l started! He has let go,
thought 1, and listened breathlessly, in
sickening expectation of the crash which
| conceived must follow. But all was
still; and mechanically l crawled up to
the edge of the hole and leaned over,
thinking to see his crushed body in a
ghastly heap below me.
"No! About five-and-twenty feet
down, vibrating in sheer space, was sus-
pended my poor friend, at a height of
at least fifty feet above the stone floor
ing of the nave. lie was in the very
midst of the stream of light that poured
through the elear-story windows. In
some way or another he had relieved the
strain upon his hands by getting his leg
over the hook at the end of the rope. l
called to him to hold fast for a while,
and to keep up his courage; but 1 never
shall forget his despairing eyes, nor the
hoarsc agonizing whisper that replied
Il can't hold on! I'm numbed. Loose
the winch! Be quick, for Gods sake!'
"Waiting for no further suggestion,
I rushed back again to the staircase and
found in the darkness, almost by intu-
ition, the steps which led still upwards
and fastened to mount them. Once or
twice, as l painted in the ascent, L. re-
member that l came to the edge of a
sheer depth, and l drew back, scarcely
conscious of The danger. l listened in
tently for any sound from below, but
heard nothing; and at length, in what
must have been an incredibly short
space of time, breathless and gasping,
l emerged on the rough uneven floor
ing of the higher story of the tower.
Trembling, I crept carefully forward
to the center of tAe space and found the
winch standing over an opening corre-
spending to the one below. l eagerly
looked down, and could just see that
something was still suspended ia the
now partially obscured tight. 1 shout
ed again and again words of encourage
ment and hope; but there was no re-
ply. With sickening thrill : set to
work to examine the winch, and found,
as, supposed, that the handle had been
entangled in the coils of a rope, from
which l had some difficulty in the dark
ness in extricating it. But once releas-
ed / allowed it to r~eyolve slowly, until
|. felt that there was no further strain
upon it. Scarcely, however, had the
assurance of Symes's security dawned
upon me as Il possibility, when a dead
ly faintness crept over me, and l think
for n minute or two / lost conscious.
ness.
"How l succeeded in getting down
without disaster through that perilous
labyrinth l can form no idea, nor have
l any recollection. l remember de
voutly thanking God as / stepped ou'
from the door of the transept to thu
floor of the nave.
"'Here l am, old fellow!' l crie(
aloud to Symes, and sprang forward in
to the open space.
"There was no reply. My heartbea
violently! Could he have gone hom'
and left me thereP The moonbeam
had sloped farther up the building, leav
ing the center aisle in deep gloom
Creeping forward in vague terror | al
most stumbled over the body of IN,
friend, apparently lifeless, but still
clinging to the rope. With trembling
haste l disentangled his limbs and Dire,
him on to the mat beside the verger'
bench, where | left him for a momen
while / rushed to fetch assistance. Blu
conceive again my blank despair whe
l found the door, which shut with
spring, locked, and the KEY couldn
tell where! had probably laid it dow
, in some forgetful moment, and l We
, locked in, with q man dying or dea
5 under my charge.
1 81 shouted; l beat; l kicked upo
the door, in the vain hope of bein
l heard by some stray passenger; b'
5 there was no house within fifty yard
and I had hnnrl tho nlonl Strikn te