The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1877-07-20

ahead. just where the lane made the Last
sharp turn toward the beach
remember the rising In tho air. the
crssh through the top Of the hedgs. and
my own fall. which was followed by the
most unearthly yell 1t 10 possible 70 Inn
agine--s shrek that seemed TO die sway
into the bowels of the earth. Then
hundred stars danced befors my eyes,
there was strange dizziness n my bead
all grew dark and / knew no more. Y \
How long lay before coming to my
self cannot tell !; nor could l recollect
for a considerable time after my senses
returned, what il was that had happensd.
Numbed with the intense cold, Twas ly-
ing on my back with the wind shrieking
above me but where was the horse and
what meant the awful yell I hoard after
taking the leap?
| found that l was lying on Slope,
and turning over on my right side ~
reached -out-op hand intending, TO lean I
upon it aud raise myself. Tony horror I
grasped nothing, fort makes me shud.
der to think, of it'll had turned over into
the mouth of partly disusedA pit. Already
was hanging haif within IL, and while
struggling to recover my balance, could
feel myself slowly but surely slipping fu'.
ther into the hideous gulf yawning to re
ceive me- Igave que cry for mercy, and
grasped wildly about till succeeded M
,clutching one Of the boards with which
the shaft was lined In another second
my body had slid down with jerk that
nearly wrenched my hands from their
hold but the strength of despair was in
that clutch and held on. Then death
ly faintness crept over me as ! thought OF
the depths below. and imagined myself
falling, falling helple ssly into them. The
strain upon my arms became intolerable,
and to ease it, tried to insert my toes
between the crevices- of the boards. crying
frantically but family for help the while,
though the sound of my own voice startled
me, it was so strangely hollow. AS
raised myself little piece of the rotten
wood broke off, and for q dreadful mo-
ment was hanging by one hand but ere
my quailing heart could give another flut-
tering throb had regained my grip. and
found foothold too More than this I
dared not venture in that profound dark
ness, bat told myself that was compar-
atvely safe rs long as my aching limbs
would sustain me When they failed
knew that should go down-down-down
until lay mangled corpse by the side
OF the poor horse whose dying cry still
rings in my ears.
Those were minutes of horror, and be-
lieve l must have gone off my head bit,
for fancied that fearful sounds came wall.
ing up from the pit. and that some invisi-
Bile power was trying to drag me down
into it. Then n temptation assaulted me to
let 60, to end AZ once the anXieties of my
life and the pain and terror WAS endur-
ing, But the poor, pale face OF Mary
Mary who was watching for me ut home
rose before my eyes, and with renewed
strength held on, and prayed to Heaven
to save me.
AS if in answer TO the prayer. a CLEAN
of the moons light broke through the
murky clouds, vanished, and then shone
out again so clearly that was able to per-
ceive the ladder not many feet away. Az
cautiously as my cramped limbs would
permit, worked my way toward it. and
before the clouds gathered again, l was
kneeling on the bank above the pit, saved
Cold. weary and sad, | made my way
home without interruption. and told Mary
what had happened AS she hung about
my neck, shivering and sobbing. she made
me promise that / would never again be
drawn into anything that my conscience
told me wasn't just right and thank God
l Am able to say that, come fair weather
or foul. l have been faithful to my word.