American citizen., 1876-03-11


our departure he suddenly cried: 'Hol-
lol that tower-hole is open. just fancy
looking down through there into the
nave.'
eyes, said L; 1 dare say it would
be very pretty; in the meanwhile L am
going home, however,
"sAll right said Symes. LEND me
your lantern and I'll bid you good
night
"'why, what are you going to doP'
l said.
"Going up into the tower he re-
piled.
90 In vain tried to dissuade him, u.s.
ing every argument to represent to him
the folly, the uselessness, the danger of
such proceeding. Good-humoredly
but obstinately he threw aside my re-
monStrances, and when at last found
MIN resolved 1 made up my mind re-
luctantly, and not in the best of humor,
to accompany him on his FOOLS errand.
Thank God that l didn't leave him
alone, as had intended.
81 was little disposed, however, to
respond to his lively sallies as follow
ed him into the staircase which led to
the tower. The lantern was of little use
to us as we climbed the worn steps.
A cold strip of moonlight came through
an open slit in the wall now and then,
but otherwise we were in the dark. At
ter some few minutes ascent we came
to a doorway that led over the top of
the transept arch under the leads of the
roof. Begging Symes to look about
him and to tread carefully, passed af-
ter him through the darkness into the
main tower. From where we stood, the
upper side of the dome-like ceiling of
the center of the nave, between the two
transepts, rose like an inverted cup be-
fore us; and at the apex of the dome,
through the opening which had sug-
gested this wayward undertaking, the
moonlight streamed dimly up into the
darkness of the tower. To carry out
his purpose, Symes now proceeded to
crawl up the dome, in order to look
down through the orifice. l knew it
was of no avail to say any thing, so 1
stood and watched him with anxiety, as
he leaned over the verge of the chasm.
GAS 1 gazed 1 became aware that
Immediately above the opening stout
rope was swinging, 10 which was at
tached a large hook. I remembered
that some repairs had been going on
for few days on the roof of the cathe-
dral, and that 1 had seen one or two
rolls of lead wound up through the hole
on the previous day. These thoughts
were passing through my mind when
Symes, catching hold of the rope, jerk
ed it to ascertain that it was fastened
above, and leaned forward with his
weight upon it, as he looked downwards
with exclamations of delight. Come up,
sir, and see; do!' he cried. Its worth
all the trouble of climb
81 was just about to creep up, that
might share his qualification, when a
sudden whirring, grating sound of
wheels above-a gasping exclamation -
a scuffling snatch with his feet at the
edge of the hole, and before could
move saw the poor fellow disappear
rapidly through the opening as the rope
uncoiled itself with increasing velocity
from the winch overhead. 1t flashed
across me in a moment. The handle of
the winch had been imperfectly Sc
cured; the jerk and the subsequent
weight had overcome the resistance,
and, trusting whelly 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 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 1 started! He has let go,
thought 1, and listened breathlessly, in
sickening expectation of the crash which
l conceived must follow. But all was
still; and mechanically 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 height Of
at least fifty feet above the stone floor
ing of the nave. He 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.
called to him to hold fast for a willie
and to keep up his courage; but never
shall forget his despairing eyes, nor the
hoarse agenizing whisper that replied
Il can't hold on! I'm numbed. Loose
the winch! Be quick, for Gods sake!
Waiting for no further suggestion
1 rushed back again to the staircase anG
found in the darkness, almost by intu
ition, the steps which led still upward:
and fastened to mount them. Once o1
twice, as painted in the ascent, 1 re-
member that came to the edge of 9
sheer depth, and 1 drew back, scarcely
conscious of the danger. listened in.
tently for any sound from below, but
heard nothing; and at length, in what
must have been an incredibly short