Milford chronicle., 1885-05-08

"Did the wind ever blow it of ?" aslke,
Jack.
"Seldom, and never out Of reach. ,
said the old man. ''WeIl, the ledge
reached was like this" illustrative
with his hands. 'It was some fen fee
wide; it stuck out maybe six feet fur
ther than the cliff top; the rock wal
went up pretty near perpendicular, till
near the coping at the ground, but be-
low the ledge the cliffs face was SC
scooped away that the sea, five hundred
feet below, ran in under it nigh fifty
feet.
Gas went down, thousands of birds
rose from the jagged places Of the preci-
plce, circling around me with harsh
screams. Soon touching the ledge, I
stepped from the loop, and drawing
down little slack, walked off briskly.
For fully quarter of a mile the ledge
ran along the cliffs face almost as level
and even in width as that sidewalk.
remember fanoying that it sloOed out
ward more than usual, but instantly dis
missed that notion, though CATER PEN
treath, the oldest man in that country
side, used to tell us that we should not
get the use of that ledge always. 1t had
been as steady in our time as in his
grandfather's, and we only laughed at
his prophecies, Yet the place Of an old
filled hssure was marked by line of
grass, by tufts of weeds and small
bushes, stretching almost as far as the
ledge itself, and within a foot or so Of
the cliffs face.
eggs were not so many as usual,
and went a long piece from my rope
before turning back. Then I noticed
the very strange conduct Of the hosts of
sea-foWls below. Usually there we're
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, rush.
ing out in terror, and returning in
masses as though to alight, 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 brigs, and nearer a small yacht,
lay becalmed, heaving on the long bill
lows. l could look down her cabin
stairway almost, and it seemed scarcely
more than a long leap to her deck.
''Puzzled by the singular conduct Of
the sea- birds, L soon stopped and set my
back against the cliff to rest while
watching them. The day was deadly
still and very warm.
81 remember taking off my cap and
wiping the sweat from my face and fore
head with my sleeve. While doing this.
! looked down involuntarily to the fis-
sure at my feet. Instantly my blood al
most froze with horror There was a
distinct crack between the inner edge Of
the fssure and the hard-packed, root
threaded soil with which it was filled
FOrcibly 1 pressed back, and in a flash
looked along the ledge. The fissure
was widening under my eyes, the rock
before me seemed sinking outward, and
with a shudder and a groan and roar,
the whole long platform fell crashing to |
the sea below I stood on a margin OF |
rock scarce a foot wide, at my back a |
perpendicular cliff, and five hundred feet |
below the ocean, now almost hidden by |
the vast concourse of wheeling and af- |
irighted birds.
"Can you believe that my first sensa-
tion was one of relief ? I stood safe
Even feeling of interest held me for
some moments. Almost coolly 1 OBJ
served a long and mighty wave roll out
from beneath. 1t went forth with a
high, curling crest-a solid wall of water |
1t struck the yacht stern on, and
plunged down on her deck, smashed
through her swell of sail, and swept her
out of sight forever.
'Not till then did my thoughts dwell
entirely on my own position; not till
then did comprehend its hopelessness /
Now my eyes closed convulsively, to
shut out the abyss down which my
glance had fallen; shudde.ing, I pressed
hard against the solid wall at my back;
an appalling cold slowly crept through
ne My reason struggled agajs, no
Wild desire to leap; all the demons. \
despair whispered to me to make ad r.
itant end. In imagination had lea.
felt the swooning helplessness of me-
ng, and the cold, upward rush Of ali.
HEARTBURN, Loss of Appetite, faint INF
Stomach, Flatulency, Dizziness, instant
ache, Humbness, Nausea, are all fer Ian
and cured by AYERS PILLS. Tow lone
his weakness lasted 1 know not; but /
'nly know that the unspeakable horror
# that first period has come to me in
waking dreams many and many day
ince; that l have long nights of that
eadly fear; that to think of the past is {
o stand again on that narrow foothold, {
nd to look around on the earth is often !
o cry out with joy that it widens away e
rom my feet r. 6
The old man paused long. Glancing
Idewise at Jack, 1 saw that his face was
allid. 1 myself had shuddered and '
rown cold-so strongly had my i'm
gination realized the awful experience q
hat Petherick had described. Z
Suddenly" said the old man, ''these l
'ords flashed to my brain: Are not c
NO sparTows sold for a farthing2 And s
he of them shall not fall on the ground c
ithout your Father. Fear not, there t
re; ye are of more value than many o
Darrows.' My faculties so strained, 1 c
,emed to hear the words. Indeed, often s
OF think that did truly hear a voice Ii
tier them very near me. 81
INSTANTLY hope arose, consciously Il
ssperate indeed, but became calm, re-
capable, and feeling unac- u
,untably aided. Careful not to look n
1wn, opened my eyes and looked far n
way over the bright sea. The rippled R
llows told that a light outward breeze m
I'd sprung up. Slowly, and somewhat p
ore distant, the two brigs moved to- n
ard the horizon. Turning my head, I E,
'uld trace the narrow stone of my foot Il
g to where my rope dangled, perhaps v
rec hundred yards distant
SIT seemed to hang within easy reach T
the cliff face, ana instantly resolved I
ID as instantly proceeded to work to- m
ard it. No time remainedfo for hesitation. m
ight time was coming on. l reasoned
at my comrades thought me killed. in
ley had probably gone to view the to
W condition of the precipice from a at
ver station, and on their return would bl
ul up and carry off the rope. 1 made az
move toward it. Try to think of that "
lrneyP an
I nodded to him silently. m
Shutting sidewise very carefully, I hi
d not made five yards before 1 knew th
at could not continue to look out Sc
Al 4