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

ever the basement and this rises six feet above
the ground The brick walls narrow to eight
inches as they ascend, and form parapet rising
above the roof. One of the time-keepers in the
factory. Jack Hardy. a young man about my own
age, often runs along the brick work, the prac-
tice giving him singular delight that has
seemed to increase with his proficiency in it
Having been ii clerk in the works from the be-
ginning, have frequetly used the parapet for
foot-path, and although there was o sheer fall OF
one hundred feet to the ground, have done it with
ease and without dizziness Occasionally Hardy
and have run races, on the opposite walls, an
exercise in which was invariably beaten, be-
cause became timid with increase OF pace.
Hopelessly distancei last Wednesday, while
the men were off at noon, I gave up midway,
and looking down, observed the upturned face
of an old man. gazing at me with parted lips,
wide eyes and an expression of horror SO start
ling that inyoluntarily stepped down to the
brieklayers' platform inside. / then saw that
the apparently frightened spectator was Mr..
Petherick, who has been for some weeks pay
master and factotum for the contractors
'sWhats the matter, Petherick7n called down.
He made no answer, but walking off rapidly
disappeared round the mill Curious about his
demeanor, descended, and after some little
seeking, found him smoking alone.
"You quite frightened me just now, Pether-
ick," said /. did you think I was a ghostp
.sNot just that no replied, sententlously.
'Did you expect me to fall, then" / inquired.
sNot just that. either said he. The old man
was clearly disinclined to talk, and apparently
r A. st. h
lugubrious expression, when the o'clock bell
rang, and he shufled off hastily to another
quarter.
Thought puzzled awhile over the incident, it
soon passed so entirely from my mind that l
was surprised when passing Petherick in the
afternoon, intending to 60 aloft, he said as
went by
''Don't do II again, Mr. Frazer
.sWhatl" stopped.
'uThatlr he retorted.
s'Oh You mean running on the wall, said l.
sT mean going on it at ALL" he exclaimed. His
earnestuess was so marked that conceived
strong interest in its cause.
''I'll make a bargain with you, Mr.. Petherick.
If you will tell me why you advise me, I'll give
the thing up"
"Done!r said he "Corae to my cottage this
evening and I'll tell you strange adventure of
my own though perhaps you'll only laugh that
it's the reason why it sickens me to see you fool
ing up there's
Petherick was ready TO talk when Jack and
sat down on his doorstep that evening, and i'm
mediately launched into the following narrative:
II was born and grew to manhood near the
high cliffs of the coast of Cornwall. Millions of
sea-fowls make their nests along the face of those
wave-worn precipices My companions and
used to get much excitement. and sometimes a.
good deal of pocketmoney, by taking their eggs
One of us. placing his feet in loop at tho end
Of rope and taking a good grip with his hands,
would be lowered by the others to the nest
when he had his basket full, they'd haul
him up, and another would go down. Well, one
afternoon, thus went dangling off. They paid
out about a hundred feet of rope before I
touched the ledge and let go.n
what ledger' asked Jack.
tOhl' said Petherick, after pause. II see it
viii be troublesome to make you understand the
situation" Then, after rejecting for some
'sYou must know that most of the cliffs along
that coast overhaug the sea. AT many points
one could drop 600 feet into the sea, and then
be forty or fifty feet from the base Of the rock
he left The coast is scooped under by the
waves But in some places the cliff wall is as
though it had been eaten away by seas once run
ming in on higher levels. There will be an over
hanging coping, then, some hundred feet down,
ledge sticking cut further than that Of the
top; under that ledge al will be scooped away.
In places there are three or four such lodges,
each projecting further than those above. These
lodges used to fall away occasionally, as they do
yet, am told, for the ocean is gradually de-
vouring that coast. Where they did not project
further than tho upper coping one would swing
like pendulum on the rope, and get on the
rock, If not too far in, then put rock on the
loop to hold it till his return. When ledge did
project so that one could drop straight on it, he
hauled down some slack and left the rope hang
ingrD .,,
Seldom and never ont of reach" said the old
man. '.Well the ledge / reached was like this"
illustrating with his hands TT was some ten
feet wide; it stuck out maybe six feet further
than the cliff top; the rock wall went up pretty
near perpendicular till near tho coping at the
ground, but below the ledge the cliffs face was
so scooped away that the sea, 500 feet below, ran
In under If nigh fifty feet
"As went down thousands of birds rose from
the jagged places of the precpice, circling
around me with harsh screams. Soon touching
the ledge. stepped from the loop, and drawing
down little slack, walked off briskly. For
fully quarter OF mile the ledge ran along the
cliffs face almost as level and even in width as
that sidewalk. remember fancying that it
sioped outward more than usual, but instantly
dismissed the notion, though CATER Pentreath,
the oldest man in that countryside, used to tell
MS that we should not get the of that ledge
always 1t had been as steady in our time as in
bis grandfather's, and we only laughed at his
prophecies. Yet the place of an old filed assure
was marked by line of grass, by tufts of weeds
and small bushes, stretching almost as far as
The ledge itself, and within foot or so of the
cliffs face.
Eggs were not so many as usual, and went
long piece from my rope before turning back.
Then noticed the very strange conduct of the
hosts of sea-fowls below Usually there were
hundreds, but now there were millions on the
wing, and instead of darting forth in playful
motions, they seemed to be wildly excited,
screaming shrilly, rushing out in terror, and
returning in masses as though TO alght, only to
wheel in dread and keep the air in vast clouds
THE weather was beautiful; the sea like
glass. At no great distance two large briggs and
nearer a small yacht, lay becalmed heaving on
the long pillows I could look down her cabin
stairway almost, and it seemed scarcely more
than long leap to her deck.
Puzzled by the singular conduct of the sea-
birds. soon stopped and set my back against
the cliff to rest while watching them. The day