Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1881-02-16
Moments of Terror.

Captain, you have led busy life
have seen much service both at sea and
on shore. We want to call on your ex-
perience TO settle point Of dispute De-
tween u.s."
cat your service, gentlemen"
s.You are doubtless acquainted with
the Orkney Islands, where the WIG
fowls breed in the cliffs of the rocks,
The fishermen fasten stick at the
end of long rope, which Is we'll Sc
cured to the brow of the cliffs, and
then placing one of their number as
tride the stick, he is lowered down the
erecipice 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. Never did his
comrades pull the line so lazily. Slow
ly,slowly dragged the rope over the edge
of the cliff, while the several strands
seemed to fly upward with the rapid
ity ofthoHght. Every instant he dread
ed that a weak place in the remaining
IL fGf az
certain appeared his doom that he felt
that every foot he advanced up the face
of the preciplce 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 fisher-
men above, they at once perceived his
danger and instantly lowered another
Ire. The fowler was rescued fIom his
peril, Dut such was the effect of his
terror during the few minutes Of his
frightful ascension, that his dark
brown hair was changed to gray"
.'Bad enough, said the captain, 'fbut
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 lee shore, with
rolling sea and plenty of wind in short
sudden puffs. The boy-about sixteen
slim-built and pale-was an out-and,
out lubber, fond of reading and skulk-
ing his duty whenever he could; his
mother, my on ly 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 his turn.
Some OF the hands had gone aloft to
shake out a reefin the foretopsail-the
rigging was covered with ice-it was a
January mornIng-well, the boy slip
ped, or was thrown, or blown from the
yard-his foot caught in 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. l
expected every roll 10 see him jerked
from his foothold, and no boat that we
had could have lived a minute IN that
sea. l did not dare to luff, for fear of
being taken aback. When l thought
q \
save him, even if beached the old tub
but the point | wanted TO weather was
close ahead, and the roar of the surf
did not sound altogether the thing.
We did save him at last. L guess his
feelings were quite as queer as that OF
your friend, the fowler. He had but
one pull up, while my nevvy had bet
ter than a hundred-with a cold bath
in a frosty sea, between each pull-no-
thing but an accidental half hitch round
his ankle, and head downward all the
while.''
Horrible, indeed. What did you say
to the poor fellow when he was re-
lieved? 20
Told him he deserved a starting for
being so clumsy when he knew l was
observation-disclosures him swallow some
hot coffee and turn in. He never went
aloft again, and at the end of the voy-
age cut the sea and took to carpenter
ing. That's some years ago, and his
hair ain t turned gray yet"