River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1878-11-21

was altering in the horizon obscured bi
light. Great volumes of cloud and vapo
were driven up before the wind, which
hoyled and moaned internationally a
blast succeeded blast, and died away
again. The wind and tide in opposition
made the water pretty rough, and oul
boat danced up and down IN very Lively
way. Presently tie black skeleton o
the bridge doomed up as through th'
mist and Evan dexterously brought NJ
his boat in the little eddy that was form
ed by the sbutments of the pier, anC
thon he called TO me to jump from tn,
stern of the dingy on to 3 cross piect
that formed sort OF platform, foot ol
so from the waters edge.
jumped and landed safely on the
balk, and then found that my way up
wards was by climbing the neareet piei
across which we're 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 distasteiu enough. | wouldn'i
try it. | would go back in the boat C
dry land once more. But the boat had
spun away on the tide, and was now fan
out of ear-shot, or, indeed, eye-shot either
There | stood, th n, in the midst of rush
ing, raging sea, upon balk Of timber
embracing a huge black pier, the head Of
which was lost in the gloom and mis-
overhead. / couldn't stay here; mus
get across the bridge at all hazards, and
my only way was upward.
/ went up slowly, step by step, testing
each frsil spliutered stave, ere l trust my
weight to H. More than one broke away
in my hands and fell into the sea below
But when | reached the top thought all
danger would soon be over. should
find firm, secure platforms rail, or at
least rope for the hand.
When / cane to the top of the pier l
saw stretched out before me beam, sus
pended, as it seemed in mid air, narrow
beam-more like rope il seemed to me
stretched over this wild abyss of raging
waves--that, and nothing else. There
we're foot prints in the narrow ridge of
timber; it was not more than two feet
wide at the broadest, and the sight of
them gave courage. Men had passed be-
fore me; l would pass, too. Ana 50,
without giving myself o moment more to
think, stepped. and the moment when
letting 20 with my hands l stood upon
that topmost round of the ladder and
balencCd myself for an instant as placed
nv foot upon the plank that moment in
which | seemed to quiver and sway TO
aud fro, high upon this giddy perch, be-
yond the ken of any human eye--a mo-
ment of dizzy terror, of strange, whirling
thoughts, of instincts to cast myself head
long into the sea, was in sensation
as any ordinary week of placid being and
get it came and went like any other mo-
nent, and l stood erect upon the beam
and began nv perilous way.
| heard the wind afar of, believing
amorg the breakers on the bar. heard
it screeeching and bowling on the flats.
felt a moments calm, the strange un-
natural hush, and then the rush and leap
of the storm as it hurdled by me. Dash
ing the salt spray into my eyes, it came,
seizing all the loose corners of my appar-
FL, and cracking them like whip lashes,
carrying away my feeble breath in its
wild course, but leaving me-yes, thank
God-leaving me still balanced upon my
plank.
The gust had cleared the mist for q
space, and | could see now before me,
though indistinctively enough, but
could see that there was only another
ength of unprotected balk; beyond that
was a broad safe platform of timber,
stretched from peir to pier. Oh, TO feel
shat platform safe under my feet! trav-
ersed the balk almost on u run. | must
reach safely before there came another
gust Of that fierce wind.
/ heard it coming, but was almost
hume-yes, home, for that rough, unshel-
tered pletlorm, on this rude night, seemed
ike home to me. was stepping firm
!Y and quickly along suddenly a chasm
seemed 10 open under nv feet-a horri-
hle chasm The beam on which / stood
came suddenly to all end for some eight
feet it had been cut away, and there was
uothing to help me over this dreadful
gap. Without wings it was impossible
TO pass.
All hope left me. knew that 10 re-
trace my steps was impossible b me,
Even if reached the end from which, |
had started should be no better off than
here, and the helplessness of my position
weakened my every nerve. Once more
heard the wind rising and hurting along
toward me. / would cling as long as
could. knelt down on the w.t., slippery
kalk, clasped it with my arms and sat
astride of it. The gust came up fierce
and strong, passed over me once more
ozce more spared me. But / felt that |
could not survive another such attack; |
should be blown away like leaf. And
yet there was no hope OF eS cape-none
i, was only question of moments how
long, with stiffening limbs, | could cling
10 this rough beam, then plunge into
the darkness.
Still | had time to think. What were
my thoughtss A helpless sense ofcruclty,
Of the horrible unteelingness and malig-
nity of the hurting wind, of the raging
waters. A sad modification, too, and
sense OF injustice, that ] should loose my
life for nothing; pleasant ramble turned
to sue. an evil end. OF the pas, thought
nothing; it was nothing to ME nova
tale that was told; that was al. OF the
future, nothing, either, excepting dim
and awful wonder. But plainly, wildly
berore my eyes saw the figure of my
wife, sitting at work 10y the fire, waiting
and watching for me-for me who never
should come. That was the bitterness oil
IT, And yet withal was not unconscious
Of certain vague sense of the ludicrous
of myself, tha. should be thus stuck
up astride beam, like some lad at play
a sport for the butfetings of the elements
With this, TOO. an unspeakable rage, 8
kind of crushed defiance. a revolt against
the doom which was imminent--a revolt
which felt itself hopeless and useless
from it's beginning.
While all this storm Of conflicting
thoughts was whjrling through my
brain, the turmoil outside was diminish
ing. The wind had hushed for awhile, anC
across my face for a moment sort o.
ruddy glow, the last beams Of the sur
setting rapidly into the sea. The vsPor:
divided for a moment the huge dark mass
of a mountain frowned down upon me-
far mon. ent ouly-then the clolds en-
cs,mpasSed me once more, the glow dice
away, the awful gloom gray of night be
gan to gather in upon ms like a vas
net.
Should drop into the sea and end
all! To die in the dark would be NOR
horrible than anything elsa. Even Of
the auietest snd most resigned deathbed
tie loss of light is the most disquietins
t.suble to the departing soul. Light
uiore light. 10 the last cry OF the spirit il
extremity. And now it seemed as though
nature had determined to spare me n