The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1880-01-16

with a flowing tide; and on our left the
cliffs, rising perpendicularly to a height
of five or six hundred feet, and showing
scarcely foot-room for goat.
PLEASANT" is Jacks remark. "But
never mind; anything is better than that
vile waste of sand and thorns."
For nearly an hour we pursue our
weary way, tumbling. scrambling,
wsding, often up to our necks in water.
But after recovering from the effect of
our first disenchantment, in high spirits,
and sanguine as to the result Of our ex-
pertinent, we can not, however, avoid
casting occasional anxious glances
at the sea, which is slowly but surely ap-
proaching the level of our platform.
"Push on, boysp' is our cry; and OH
we trudge, laughing at our frequent
duckings, and helping each other out of
our difficulties.
Presently we receive a gentle hint to
put our best foot foremost by slight
sprinkiing of spray. This makes us re-
double our efforts, but to no purpose; for
in few minutes every wave, as it strikes
the shelf, envelopes US in binding
shower.
l looked at my watch-four o'clock;
three hours yet to high water. Still'onl
Ten minutes more and the waves are
breaking at our feet. Fortunately the
breeze is dying away, and the sea be-
coming calm. A wave rather stronger
dashes in. Jack is down. An instant
sees him on his feet again; but to retain
our footing is momentarily more diff
c'lt. Another dozen yards and I am off
my pins. We can't stand this; We must
take to the cliffs. What will become of
us? AS these thoughts pass through my
mind, our further progress is arrested by
gap in the shelf some forty or fifty feet
wide; deep water, and the waves break
ing at the foot of the cliffs. On the
opposite side the shelf rises about six
feet.
"Hurrahw we exclaim. "Once over
that, and we shall be in safety"
"Of with your coat, Jack; we must
swim it. Hassan will take. our things
over on his head" .... -.
"All right, SIR Jack replies; and
Hassan is soon ready, with our clothes in
a bundle ON his head. He is sitting on
the rocks, lowering himself gradually
into the water; land is on the point Of let
ting go his hold, when Jack yells:
"Come back come backl For Gods
sake, come back! Look"
l look, but can not speak. We both
seize hold of Hassan, and haul him bod
lily to the shelf, his eyes almost starting
from his head, his face an indescribable,
unearthly blue, and trembling in every
limb. There, only few feet from us, is
huge shark, his cold white eye looking
up, half turned, showing his white belly,
and keeping himself in position by gen
tie motion Of his fins.
For moment not word is uttered.
Hassen at length breaks the spell.
"Allah, Allah, il Allah! Allah Akbsr!
Allah, Allah, il Allah! Allah Akbar!"
he drones forth in a tremulous monotone,
the words following one another as
quickly as his breath will allow. ~.%
Jack and l lose no time in robing our.
selves.
"Don't sit mumbling there, Hassan,"
l say; and enforce my words by good
tug at his wool. "Look alive, Jack;
there's nothing for it but the cliffs"
We are now almost knee-deep in
water. o, how / wish we had taken
Markham's advicel But we have no
time for vain regrets. We get close to
the cliffs to prevent being washed off the
shelf, and retrace our steps in the hope
of finding some place of ascent, and
providentially soon discover one.
"Quick, quick! here is a chance. BE
careful! Hold on like grim death; it's
our only hope"
In less time than it has taken to write
we are mahing our way by inches up the
face of the cliff Our position is awfully
precarious, and false step certain death
yet (speaking for myself) 1 am most
thankful that am out of water. l no.
tce, as we scramble higher and higher,
that the sound of the waves is growing
more indistinct, Soon it ceases altogeth.
er, and l am fattering myself that we
must be nearing the. summit, when my
head butts against some obstruction. For
the first time i now dare take my eyes
from my hands and look round. A hun.
dred feet below is the sea, the shelf is
completely submerged; above, an over.
hanging rock shuts out the sky.
$50 on, sir" uttered by Jack, are
the first words spoken since leaving the
shelf.
Cant get any higher, jack" I reply
"We must 60 back, until we find some
place where we can sit.down."
To remain as we arc for any length OF
time is beyond human endurance. A few
words explain this to. Hassar.
If ascending had been dangerous de.
scending was ten thousand times more 80
every minute seems lifetime. Luckily
the tension OF our nerves is not of long
duration. About twenty feet beneath
the rock which had stepped our ascent
we find sitting room.
By this time we are all pretty well
tagged; our hands are torn and bleeding
and we are suffering intolerably from
thirst. A short rest, and then comes 6