Weekly Chillicothe crisis. (Chillicothe, Livingston Co., Mo.) 1878-19??, 1880-12-30
Once il had come. there was no good

went on n plank, slung securely at the
end of the rope, my tools along with
me, an settled myself astride on the
stone coping. Twas rather late in the
day, but the morning had been too wet
an stormy to work, an the master was
as impatient to get the job done rs if it
hadn't been himself that was hinder
ing it all this time. was as much at
home atop of the chimney as | was on
the ground, an | worked on without
once looking down until my job was
finished an l was putting up my tools.
Then, all of a sudden, | heard rat
tling noise, an looking over, | see the
plank going down very fast. | called
out, "IIullo, there! send that up
again, will youT but the only
answer | got was a loud laugh, for
all the world like silly Jerry the natur-
ais; and sure enough, there he WAS,
standing by the windlass, jumping an
clapping his hands. looked about for
the man whose business it was to man
age the windlass, but not a sign of him
was there, an in Il minute | heard the
rattling of the pulley again, an saw
that the rope was running through 1t
in the wrong direction. | made a grab
at it, but twas jerked out of hand, an
before | could catch it again the end
had slipped through, an there was,
more than Il hundred feet from the
ground, not knowing how in the world
| was to get down, an Jerry dancing
an capcring below, calling out, Come
down and thrash me now, Mr.. FOrdc,
won't you ?" Then remembered very
distinctly that few days before | had
found this boy annoying Katie, an had
given him cut with switch had in
my hand. lie had skunk away without
a word at the time, but il seemed he
remembered the blow, and took this
way of being rcyengcd.
Well, at first was scarcely fright
ened, expecting somehow that, once
the people below knew of the fix | was
in, they'd find some way or other of
getting me out of it. But when |
come to think of it, deuce II bit Of Il
way could | hit on myself, an sure |
knew more about chimneys than any
one else in the place. Twas getting
late. too: there wouldn't he much more
than another half-hour of daylight, an
the wind was raiSing-l could hear
the whistling through the trees.
by this time the people knew what
had happened, an crowd was collect
ing; | could see them coming from all
parts, for of course had Il view all
about. saw u boy 90 up to the door
of the counting house, an presently
Master Philip came out running as il
for his life. When he came he tool;
the command like, and began giving
directions; an the people who had only
stared at first, now ran here an there
ds he sent them. First they brought
out long ladder, an fixed it on the
roof below the chimney. | could have
told them that twas too short, know
ing as | did the length of every ladder
in the place; but somehow, though
heard their shouts plainly, | could no
, make them hear mine. 1t seemed us i
! the voices went up like smoke. Thcl
there was Il great delay while the,
went for a longer ladder, an this too
, didn't reach halfway. Aman cimbc,
y up it, however, an called ont to know
. had | bit of string in my pocket tina
:, | could let down. Not a bit could
: find, had had a big ball only the da
!, before, but had taken it out of N
: pocket an put it on shelf at homt
= | took off my braces an fastened then
. an my pOcket-handkerchief together
" but they didn't near reach the top Il
y the ladder, 50 that plan had to be give
up.
All this time, the wind was risin
= an | was getting numb with the cole
: an stiff an cramped from being 50 Ion
NJ in one position. There was n big cloc
a right over the gateway, just opposit
n an | saw that it only wanted twent
~ minutes of five; it would be nearI
,c dark at five, an once the darkness ST
is in, what little hope had would the
,r be gone.
1T Master Phillip seemed to have gOI
4; away by this time, but there was II
IL father, among the crowd, an wi
in should | see standing next him Il
rs holding Oh by his arm, but h
~ tie! They had forgotten eycrythil
be but the fright about me, an he sccmt
n to be talking to her, an comfortil
lg her.
It. After bit, saw Master Phil
'u again; he Ind big thing in his han
IT, looking like pocket-handkcrchic
aS stretched over II frame, an saw til
ny it WAS kite, an that they meant
'o' send string up to me in that W;
re But, you never, in all your life, s.;
on such an unmanageablc kite. Fir
twas too heavy, an then, twas I
mp light, and then the time they seemed
Oe lose, making tail to steady it,
=, heard after, that plrt of that same t
nj was made of bank notes Master Phil
Y; took out of his pocket, when he col
ION get nothing else quick enough.
50 got them all back later, for not mi
'ut woman or child in the place wol
ing have touched one of them when Il
OF saw him using them in such way.
on When the kite did go up at last,
to wind was so high that they could
,on manage it properly. 1t came near
Of once, an | made a snatch at the stri
nd nearly Overreaching myself in doing
,ws but | missed it, an just then tn
W" came terrible gust of wind,
In string broke, an the kite was carr
=, away, an stuck fast in the branches
,oJ a big tree, behind the masters house
';st G looked over at the clock, to see h
in, much time was left me, an | fol
rs rs that | could not see the hands ;
,,,p np longer, the darkness had come OF
% an, the last few minutes. Then, gave
tho all hope, for | knew could never Il
,s s'a y on till morning. l tried to think
,,,J death, an to make myself ready fol
m ho but l couldn't-not prayer, or g
',os n word could | call to mind, only &C
,aro @ over an over again in my head,
!, ~ IN way 'twould all happen-how the |
nj nt pie would go away, one by one; !
II, ~ I'd be left all alone in the darkness
'H tho bowling wind, an how, at last, I'd
san .n. be able to hold on any longer, an