Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1876-03-15

aIlu W Keep up LIS courage; OUT snail
never forget his despairing eyes, nor
the hcarse agonizing whisper that re-
piled: 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 I painted in the ascent, 1 re-
remember that came to the edge of
a sheer depth, and drew back, scarcely
conscious of the danger. I 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,
emerged on the rough flooring of the
higher story of the tower. Trembling,
I crept carefully forward to the centre
of the space, and found the winch
standing over an opening correspond
ing to the one below. eagerly looked
down, and could just see that some
thing was still suspended in the now
partially obscured light. l shouted
again and again words of encourage
ment and hope; but there was no re-
ply. With a sickening thrill, I set to
work to examine the winch, and found
as l supposed, that the handle had
been entangled in the coils of rope,
from which I had some difficulty, in
the darkness, in extricating it. But
once released, I allowed it to revolve
slowly, until l felt that there was no
further strain upon it. Scarcely, how
ever, had the assurance of Symes' Sc
curity dawned upon me as a possibil-
ity, when deadly faintness crept over
me, and [ think for minute or two 1
lost consciousness.
How | succeeded in getting down
without disaster through that perilous
labyrinth | can form no idea, nor have
l any recollection 1 remember de-
voutly thanking God, as stepped out
from the door of the transept on to the
floor of the nave.
Here / am, old feliow!" / cried
aloud to Symes, and sprang forward
into the open space.
There was no reply. My heart beat
violently. Could he have gone home,
and left me there? The moonbeams
had eloped farther up the building,
leaving the centre aisle in deep gloom.
Creeping forward in vague terror, l al
most stumbled over the body of my
friend, apparently lifeless, but still
clinging to the rope. With trembling
haste, disentangled his limbs, and drew
him on the mat beside the verger's
bench, where l left him for moment,
while 1 rushed to fetch assistance But
conceive again the blank despair when
l found the door, which shut with a
spring, locked, and the key-I couldn't
tell where. I had probably laid it down
in some forgetful moment, and I was
locked in. with man dying or dead
under my charge.
az shouted; I beat; I kicked upon
the door, in the vain hope of being
heard by some stray passenger; but
there was no house within fifty yards,
and I had heard the clock strike ten
some time before. Wild with despe--
alton, [ ran back to my inanimate com
panion. By this time had become 50
used to the obscurity as to be able to
discern that while had been away he
had lifted his arm on to the bench, al
though there was still no further sign of
consciousness. Such moments, my
dear fellow, make one religious, if moth
ing else does. do not know whether
you have ever experienced the wave of
relief that succeeds the unexpected de-
liverance from extreme peril; but as
sure you that the conviction that poor
Symes was not dead brought me upon
my knees in thankfulness for the mer-
cy that had protected us in such an
awful crisis
was overcome with WEAKNESS and
weakness holding the hand of my I'M
conscious friend, and [ almost think
that was doing, when I heard the
sound of an opening door and friendly
voices; | cried aloud, and we were at
once surrounded with lights, and eager,
frightened, inquiring faces, besieging
me with questions, which for the time
I was altogether unable to answer.
Symes, still insensible, was carried to
his lodgings on the other side of the
green, whittier I followed him, and wait
ed for more than half on hour, until
the doctor came and told me that he
was partly conscious, but must not on
any account be disturbed or excited by
seeing anybody. He said he would re-
main with him through the night; and
| returned with anxious thoughts and
an exhausted frame, but with a crate
full heart, to my own home.
It turned out that little JENNY Ok
lev had been the means of bringing IFS