The Worthington advance., 1878-11-21

tween the shore and tho nearest pier
apout hundred yards. Evan, however;
was prepared with plan for reaching it.
A friend 1cf his was the master Of the it-
tie sloop, the "Ann Jones," which was ly-
ing in the tiny brook above. He and his
mate were on board of her, and they had |
got their little dingy with them. Evan |
would borrow the boat and drop down |
with the stream and deposit me 1T the |
foot of the nearest pier.
"But why not ferry me right over7'' I
asked.
''Not possible" said Evan; "there are
shadows and quicksands at the other side,
which at this time of tide are dangerous"
We made our way along the road
which overlooked the estuary, till we
came to the little hsrbor. Evan had no
difficulty in borrowing tho dingy, and we
were soon atloat and shooting quickly
down the stream.
It was almost dark now, for, although
the sun was not yet down, the storm that
was gathering in the horizon obscured bis
light. Great volumes of cloud and vapor
were driven up before the wind, which
howled and moaned internationally as
blast succeeded blast, and died away
again. The wind and tide in opposition
made the water pretty rough, and our
boat danced up and down in very lively
way. Presently the black skeleton of
the bridge loomed up as through the
mist, and Evan dexterously brought up
his boat in the little eddy that was form
cd by the abutments Of the pier, and
then he called to me to jump from the
stern Of the dingy on to a cross piece
that formed a sort Of platform, a foot or
80 from the waters edge.
jumped and landed safely on the
balk, and then found that my way up
wards was by climbing the nearest piel,
across which were nailed rough, irregu-
lar slaves, which constituted what is call
ed workman's ladder. had no inten-
ton Of undertaking any acrobatic feats,
and the idea Of climbing up to that gid
dy height by such rough unreliable sup
ports was distastetul enough. wouldn't
try it. would go back in the boat 10
dry land once more. But tho boat had
spun away On the tide, and was now far
out of shot, or, indeed, eye-shot either.
There stood, th' n, in the midst Of rush.
ing, raging sea, upon a balk Of timber,
embracing huge black pier, the head of
which was lost in the gloom and mist
overhead. I couldn't stay here; must
get across the bridge at all hazards, and
my only way was upward.
went up slowly, step by step, testing
each frail splintered stave, ere I trust my
weight to it. More than one broke away
| in my hands and fell into the sea below.
, But when reached the top thought all
. danger would soon he over. l should
find a firm, secure platform-a rail. or al
( least rope for the hand.
When cane to the top Of the pier
| saw stretched out before me beam, sus.
5 pended, as it seemed in mid-air, a narrow
beam-more like q rope it seemed to me
t stretched over this wild abyss of raging
3 waves--that, and nothing else. There
Q were foot prints in the narrow ridge o
e timber; it was not more than two teet
g wide at the broadest, and the sight O.
Q them gave courage. Men had passed be
d fore me; l would pass, too. And 81
!, without giving myself moment more t
4 think, stepped, and the moment whe1
q letting go with my hands stood upol
. that tOpmost round OF the ladder ant
t balanced myself for an instant as PLACED
: my foot upon the plank that moment i,
= which seemed to quiver and sway t.
r and fro, high upon this giddy perch, be
o yond the ken of any human eye-a mo
r ment of dizzy terror, Of strange, whirline
G thoughts, of instincts to cast mvsclf head
q long into the sea; was in sensation
: as any ordinary week of placid being ;sne
0 yet it came and went like any other mo
|, ment, and I stood erect upon the bean
I and began nv perilous way.
e I neard the wind afar off, bellowin!
Is among the breakers on the bar. I hear,
J. it screeeching and bowling on the flats
I felt moments calm, the strange un
n natural hush, and then the rush and lea,
= of the storm as it hurdled by me-. Dash
: ing the salt spray into my eyes, it came
d seizing all the loose corners of my appar
l. el, and cracking them like whip lashes
IS carrying away my feeble breath in it
n wild course, but leaving me-yes, than
n God-leaving me still balanced upon III
e plank.
e The gust had cleared the mist for
n space, ana could see now before III.
d though indistinctively enough, but
It could see that there was only anothe
l. ength of unprotected balk; beyond tina
r was broad safe platform Of timber
10 stretched from peir to pier. Oh, to tct
q that platform safe under my feet! tray
ersed the balk almost on T. run. I mus
r reach safely before there came anothe
le gust Of that fierce wind.
heard it coming, but was almo
D. home-yes, home, for that rough, unshc
n, tered pletform, on this rude nj ght, SCENE
"a like home to mt. T was stepping firm
a ly and quickly along suddenly chas1
ID seemed to open under my feet-a horr
OF ble chasm. The beam on which I stoO
came suddenly to an end; for some eigl
Is, feet it had been cut away, and there WI
to nothing to help me over this dreadfi
~ gap. Without wings it was lmpossib
to pass.
l All hope left me. knew that to r
!" trace my steps was impossible to M
no Even if reached the end from which,
s. had started l should be no better off tbs
here, and the hclplessness of my positic
Ill weakened my every nerve. Once more
heard the wind rising and hurling alon
re toward me. would cling as long as
could. knelt down on the wet, slipper
l balk, clasped it with my arms and 81
IL astride Of it. The gust came up fer,
and strong, passed over me once more
y once more spared me. But I felt that
could not survive another such attack;
Z" should be blown away like leaf. An
yet there was no hope OF es cape-no1
1t was only question of moments no
n long, with stifening limbs, I could clir
to this rough beam, then plunge in
k the darkness.
n Still had time to think. What we
Of my thoughts1 A helpless sense ofcruclt
i'd Of the horrible unteelingness and MALI
nity of the hurting wind. of the rap,r