The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1881-02-23
the scent of flowers, and | can hear
Nelly's sweet voice singing the Even
ing Hymn.


ing hymn.
Moments OF Terror.
Captain, you have led a busy
life-have seen much service both
at sea and on shore. We want to
call on your experience to settle q
point of dispute between u.s."
"At vol. service gentlemen"
"You are doubtless acquainted
with the Orkney Islands, where the
wild fowls breed in the clefts of the
rocks. The fishermen fasten stick
at the end of a rope, which is well
secured to the brow Of the clefts, and
then placing one of their number
astride the stick, he is lowered
down the precipice in search of the
game. You have most likely heard
the account of the man who in
striking at the birds with an iron
plated boat staff, as they flew from
their holes, cut two of the strands
of the rope that suspended him
between heaven and EARTH"
Below him was certain death
above him a terrific wall of rock
that seemed to reach the sky. He
gave the signal for hauling up by
striking the rope twice with his
staff. Meyer did his comrades pull
the line SO lazily. Slowly, slowly
dragged the rope over the edge OF
the cliff, while the several strands
seemed to fly upward with the
rapidity of thought. Every instant
he dreaded that weak place in the
remaining portion would be un-
twisted, and SO certain appeared his
doom that he felt that every foot he
advanced up the face of the preci-
pice would but increase the height
of his fall. A sudden pause in the
motion struck him with new fear
when the untwisting part of the
rope came into the hands of the
fishermen above, they at once per-
ceived his danger and instantly
lowered another line. The fowler
was rescued from his peril, but such
was the effect of his terror during
the few minutes of his frightful as
cension, that his dark brown hair
was changed to gray
'Bad enough" said the captain,
"but not quite the worst in the
world. l don't know whether the
chance which a young nevvy of
mine run foul of during the first
voyage, in the Bay of Biscay wasn't
just as bad. We were in a stumpy
tub of 'mafferdite brig, trying to
claw off a lee shore, with rolling
sea and plenty of wind in short
sudden puffs. The boy-about six
teen, slim-built, pale-was an out
and-out lubber, fond of reading and
skulking his duty wheneverhe could
his mother, my only sister, widow
by the way, had made me promise
to take care of him, but we were
short handed, and he was forced to
work lis turn. Some of the hands
had gone aloft to shake out reef
in the foretopsail-the rigging was
covered with ice-it was a January
the boy slipped, or
was thrown, or blown from the
yard-his foot caught in a blight in
some of the running rigging, and he
hung by the heels, head downward,
from the end of the yard, dipping
into the sea at each plunge of the
old craft, and hoisted..up again high
and dry, every time she came to the
wind. / expected every roll to see
him jerked from his foothold. and
no boat that we had could have
lived a minute in that sea. | did
not dare to luff, for fear of being
taken aback. When | thought of
his mother / had great mind to
save him, even if | beached the old
tub; but the point l wanted to
was close ahead, and the
roar of the surf did not sound al
together the thing. We did save
him at last. / guess his feelings
we're quite as queer as that of your
friend, the fowler. He had but one
pull up, while my nevvy had better
than a hundred-with q cold bath
in a frosty sea, between each pull
nothing but an accidental half hitch
round his ankle, and head down
ward all the while"
Horrible, indeed. What did you
say to the poor fellow when he was
relieved?"
"Told him he deserved a startling
for beingso clumsy when he knew
was short-handed-made him swal-
ow some hot coffee and turn in.
He never went aloft again, and at
he end of the voyage cut the sea
md took to carpentering. That's
some years ago, and his hair amt
.urned gray yet"