Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-08-22
"Wouldn't IL be a long INV.
o-AHSS L. o . sNu1p IA

nayementP" he said long jump to
AS he spoke he looked down
thing; for hfs head, which h.a tsa
now been so cool and steady. Nv. aas
whirl strangely. He could not 0sgaa
his eyes from the awful chas,n reno
him. 1t seemed to fascinate b;m oeq
The boys looked at each oth..
horror. They saw the terrible '. a'1
which menaced him; they knew G u
only q question of moments now y
he must fall and be dashed to ,to ueloi
the pavement below. He stood )
kind of stupor, looking down ~. ~
fascinating gulf, his eyes wild and ru1o
ing, his face white with terror
too, knew the awful danger in whih
stood, but he was powerless ta tn
himself. The slightest change Of le
ton, even the raising of his eyes
he must fall. The gulf seemed d.
him on; his brain grew more torTid VIZ
! every instant, ard his eyes seempeda W
ing from their sockets. Back Of 4
shuddered his horror-stricken comr,a1
waiting in an agony of suspense far y
fatal end of this terrible drama: boha
and below him yawned the 1 rn
chasm, at the bottom of which Tho e ~
pie moving along looked like dwsrlN,
Suddenly there was a mover.
among the boys, and Ross Carson, WY
white face and set feet, climbed c,iclI
and noiselessly out of the stecpIe VA.
the scaffolding, and with steady ss
approached the boy who stood on 4
brink of such a fearful death.
self he touches him, Tom will fall
whispered Louis Raymond.
Low as the whisper was, Ross he,,
it. and half turned his head towan
Louis, pausing an instant as if to thin3
Then he made a quick, firm stem fl
ward, and throwing both arms aroun
Toms waist, dragged him backward
1t was all over in an instant. In :.
face of q fearful and imminent dana,
Ross saved his enemy, and SLOW,
carefully, for every step was rei
drew him back to the steeple, and vii
the help of the other boys got him
side n more, white as a corpse, il
true, and utterly u~nnerved, but safe,
There a little said by any one.
silence Ross helped Tom descend d
winding stair, and then walked hon
as quickly as possible.
IL don't feel well enough to 20
school again this aternoon." he sad
his mother, $50 I'll weed out yc5
tlower-beds for YOU"
"You I pale,' said Mrs. CarsoJ
I'm afraid you stu ly too hard"
Ross did not answer, but threw d
his coat and began to weed the bedl
hoping by hard work to overcome M
nervousness which had possessed hu
ever since leaving the new town-hall.
He was still wedding, a couple 4
hours later, when he heard the tram
of many feet, and looking up, he sal
about a dozen of his schoolmates conf
ing in at the little wooden gate, Tod
Lane first of all.
1--WE come to ask your pardon, Rod
Carson" said Tom, holding out hi
hand. you've taught me this dali
what true courage is, and made me Sd
what a cowardly sneak I've been"
Toms lips quivered as he made thi
humiliating confession, and his EYED
were moist with the tears which ID
could restrain with only the greats
effort.
Ross took the preferred hand h]
warm and hearty grasp as he said: "l1
have done as much tor any one, Tom
Don't make SO much of it. But T. m Out
and-out glad to be friends with you"
And friends, fast and true, they we'd
from that time forth, and no one ee|
again even whispered that Ross CarsaI
lacked courage. The story of tsl
brave deed of his on the scaffoldnl
about the new hall had borne testimolA
to his courage which was sufficientd
convincing. and the people of Hillsbon1
were proud of their young townsmsa
In their eyes he was hero. But l think
that the noblest thing about his brave
act was that he risked his life to save
that of his enemY.--Mustrdted Chris
tan Weekly.