The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-05-01

an APPALLING cold slowly crept through me. My
reason struggled against wild desire to leap;
all the demons of despair whispered to nee to
make al instant end. In imagination had
leaped. felt the swooning heplessness Of fall
ing, and the cold, upward rush Of air
.Still pressed hard back against the wall of
rock, and though nearly faint from terror, never
forgot for instant the death at my feet nor the
utter danger of the slightest motion. How long
| this weakness lasted know not; only know
| that the unspeakable horror Of that first period
many day since; that have long nights of
that deadly fear; that to think of the past is to
| stand again on that narrow foothold and to look
around on the earth is often to cry out with Joy
| that it widens away from my feet"
| The old man paused long CHANGING sidewise
| at Jack, saw that his face was pallid. my
| self had shuddered and grown cold, SO strongly
| had my Imagination realized the awful expert
| ence that Patherick described.
/ Suddenly" said the old man. s'these words
| flashed to my BRAIN Are not twosparrows sold
| for a farthing? And one of them shall not fall
/ on the ground without your Father. Fear not,
| therefore: We are of more value than many spar
rows Ny faculties so strained, | seemed to
hear the words. Indeed, often yet think that
did truly hear a voice utter them very near me.
INSTANTLY hope arose. consciously desperate
indeed, but became calm, resourceful capable,
and feeling unaccountably aided Careful not
/ to look down, opened my eyes and gazed far
away over the bright sea. The rippied pillows
| told that light outward breeze had sprung up.
/ Slowly, and somewhat more distant, the two
| briggs moved toward the horizon Turning my
| head, could trace the narrow stone of my foot
| ing to where my rope dangled, perhaps three
| hundred yards distant.
1T seemed to hang within easy reach of the
cliff face, and instantly l resolved and as in
| stantly proceeded to work toward it. No time
remained for hesitation. Night was coming on.
/ reasoned that my comrades thought me killed.
| They had probably gone to view the new con-
| ditlon OF the precipice from lower station, and
&~s~
| rope. I made move toward it. Try to think
i of that Journey"
nodded to him silently.
''Shuf1ing sidewise very carefully, had IoS
made five yards before knew that L could not
| continue to look out over that abyss without
glancing down. and that could not glance down
without losing my senses. You have the brick
line to keep eyes on as you walk along the fac
tory wall; do you think you could move along it
erect. looking down you would have toa Yet
| it is only one hundred feet high. Imagine five
| more such walls on top of that, and you trying
TO move sidewise--incapable of closing your
eyes, forced to look down, from end to end, yes,
three times further! Imagine you've got to go
| on or jump off! Would you not in an ecstasy of
| nervous agitation, fall to your knees get down
face-frst at full length, clutch by your hands
| and with shut eyes feel your way2 / longed to
lie down and hold, blu. Of course that was i'm
| possible"
Still there was wall atyour back, observed
| Jack.
| seemed
press outward against me. 1t did, in fact in
/ cline very slightly outward. It seemed to be
| thrusting me off. On, the horror of that sensa-
ton! Yonr toes on the edge of precipice, and
| the implacable, calm mountain apparently
| weighing you slowly forward"
| Beads of sweat broke out over his white face
| at the horror he had called before him. Wiping
his lips nervously with the back of his hand,
he paused long. saw it's cruel edge and the
| dark CLEANS of its abysmal water.
| u knew" he resumed that with nay back to
| the wall could never reach the rope. could
not face toward it and step forward, SO narrow
was the ledge. Motion was perhaps barely pos
sibie that way, but the breadth Of my shoulders
would have forced me to lean somewhat more
outward, and this dared not and could not do
Also, to see solid surface before me became an
irresistible desire resolved to try to turn
round before resuming the desperate journey
| To do do this had to nerve myself for one
| steady look at my footing.
| In the depth below the myriad sea-fowl then
rested on the black water, which, though swell
| ing moro with the rising wind, had yet an un-
broken surface at some little distance from the
precipice, while further out it began to jump to
| whitecaps. and in beneath me, where / could
| not see, it dashed and churned with faint per-
| vading roar that could barely distinguish. Be
fore the descending sun heavy bank of cloud
had arisen. The oceans surface bore that APP
pearance of intense and angry gloom that often
heralds storm, but save the deep murmer GO
| ing out from far below my perch, all to my hear
| ing was deadly STILL
Cautiously swung my right foot before the
other and carefully edged around For an in
/ slant, rs my shoulder rubbed against the rock
/ felt that must fall did stagger, in fact but
the next moment stood firm. face to the beetling
| cliff, my heels on the very edge and the new
sensation of the abyss behind me no less horrible
than that from which had with such difficulty
escaped. / stood ouaking delirious horror
| thrilled every nerve. The skin about my ears
| and neck, suddenly cold, shrank convulsively.
/ wild with fear, | thrust forward my head
| against the rock and rested in agony. A whir
| and wind of sudden wings made me conscious of
| outward things again. Then mad eagerness to
| climb swept away other feeling, and my hands
attempted in vain to clutch the rock. Not dar-
| ing to cast my head backward, drew it tortoise
| like between my raised shoulders and chin
| against the precipice, and gazed upward with
| straining of vision from under my eyebrows.
/ Ear above the dead wall stretched. Sidewise
| glances gave me glimpses of the projecting sum-
NIT coping. There was no hope in that direc-
| ton. But the distraction of scanning the cliff
| side had given my strained nerves some relief;
] to my memory again returned the promise of
| the Almighty, and the consciousness of His re-
| gard. Once more my muscles became firm
| strung.
| "a cautious step sideways made me know
| how much had gained in ease and security of
| motion by the change Of front made progress
that seemed almost rapid for some rods, and
| even had exultation in my quick approach to the
| rope. Hence came freedom to think how I
should act on reaching it. and speculation as to
| how soon my comrades would haul me up.
"Then the idea rushed through me that they
might even yet draw it away too soon; that while
almost in my clutch it might rise from my
| hands. Instantly all the terrors of my position
| returned with tenfold force; an outward thrust
/ of the precipice seemed to grow distinct my
| trembling hands told me that it moved bodily
toward me, the descent behind me took an un-
| speakable renoteness. and from the utmost
depth of that sheer air seemed to ascend stead
1 i1zo daad ty and oh xxir1 Rat T
| did not stop for a instant. Instead, delirium
| to move faster possessed me, and with quick,
| sidelong steps-my following foot striking hard
| against that before-sometimes on the point of
stumbling, stretched out like the crucified
| pressed in mortal terror along.
| "Every possible accident and DELAY was pre-