The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1877-11-29
"Oh, I'd let him go, sir" said Joey

VI u J0n-chu, says anObner.
"More like a monkey" says Sam
Rowley, our wicket-keeper.
"Never mind what can climb like, !"
says Billy. "I'm game to do it; 30 here
goes"
"But if you do get up" said Parson,
"you will want tools to take off and oil
the weather cock, and you can't carry
them"
just then q message came from the
rectory that Parson was wanted, and
went away in hurry; and no sooner
had he gone than there was no end of
chaff about Billy, which ended in his
pulling up his belt another hole, and
"I'm going"
"And what are you going to do when
you get up there ~
"Nothing," he says, "but tie the
rope up to the top of the spire, and
leave it for some of you clever chaps to
do"
"What rope shall you use," said.
"The new well rope" says Billy.
"Its over two hundred feet long"
Cricketing was set aside for that day,
for Joey Rance went off and got the
rope, coming back with it coiled over
his arm, throwing it down before Billy
in defiant sort of way, as much as to
say
"There, now, let's see you do it..
Without word, Billy picked up the
coil Of rope and went in at the belfry
door, to come out soon after on the top
of the tower, and then, with one end OF
the rope made into loop and thrown
over his shoulders, he went to one edge
of the eight-sided spire and began to
climb up from crochet to crochet,
which were about a yard apart, and look
ing like so many ornamental knobs
sticking out from the spire.
We gave him a cheer as he began to
go up, and then sat on the grass wonder
ing like to see how active and clever the
fellow was as he went up yard after
yard, climbing rapidly, and seeming as
if he'd soon be at the top.
The whole of the village turned out
in state OF excitement, and we had
hard work to keep two brave fellows
from going up to try at other corners Of
the spire.
"He'll do it-he'll do it ~ was the
cry over and over again.
And it seemed as if he would, for he
went ON rapidly till he was within some
thirty feet of the top when all of a
sudden he seemed to lose his hold, and
come sliding rapidly down between two
rows of erockets faster and faster, till he
disappeared behind the parapet of the
tower.
We held our breath, one and all, as
Ia, FOL al a1,,
ror came upon us. It was not until he
had reached the top of the tower that
we reused ourselves to run to the belfry
door and began to go up the spiral
staircase to get the poor fellow, whom
we expected to find half dead.
"Hallo |" cried Billy's voice, as we got
halfway down the cork-screw. I'm
coming down."
Amt You hurt, then % cried Joey
Rance.
"No, not much," said Billy, as we
reached him by one of the loop-holes in
the stone wall. Got some skin off and
bit bruised"
"Why, we thought you were half
killed." we said.
"Not l." he replied gruftly; "the rope
caught over one of the crockets, and thai
broke my fall"
"Going to try again ?" said Joey, with
a sneer.
"No, I amt going to try again,
neither" said Bill, gruff1y. az left the
rope up at the top there, thinking you
were so clever you'd like to CO."
"Oh, could do it if I liked" said
joey.
"Only you daren't," said Bill, rub
bing his elbows, and putting his lips to
his bleeding knuckles.
"Daren't ?" said Joey.
And without another word he pushed
by Billy, and went on steadily up toward
the top of the tower.
"Ihope he'll like it, said Billy, chuck
ling. "It amt so easy as he thinks.
Let's go down. I'm good bit shook. 4"
Poor fellow, he looked rather white
as he got down, and to our surprise on
looking up on hearings cheer, there was
Joey hard at work with the rope over
his shoulder, climbing away, the lads
cheering him again and again as he
climbed higher and higher, till he at last
reached the great copper support of the
weathercock, and then, he clung there
motionless for few minutes, and we
began to think he had lost his nerve
and was afraid to move.
But that wasn't it-he was only gath
ering breath and we gave cheer in
which Billy Johnson heartily joined rs
up there looking as small as crow, the
plucky fellow gave the weathercock a
spin round afterwards holding on by his
legs, clasped round the copper support.
| while he took the rope from his shoul-
ders, undid the loop, and then tied it
securely to the great strong support
! All this time he had had his straw hat
on and now, taking it off, he gave it a
skim away from him and away it went,
right out into space, to fall at last far
from the foot of the tower.
Joey now began to come down very
slowly and carefully, as if the coming
down was worse than the going up, and
more than once he slipped /; but he had
a tight hold of the rope with one hand
and that saved him, so that he only
rested, and then continued to come down,
You see the spire sloped SO that he
did not hang away from it, but against
the stone sides; and SO we went on
watching him till he was about hall
way down, when he stopped to rest
and, pulling up the rope bit as ht
held on to the rope, so as to rest hi
legs.
We gave him another cheer, and SO die
Parson, who Just then came up, wher
Joey waved his hand.
As he did this, something occurred
(which took away nv breath for ,ooo,