The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1885-05-28
PETHERICK'S PERIL.
Thrilling Account of a Dangerous
Adventure.

Each story of the Shelton Cotton Factory
is fifteen feet between floors; there are
seven such over 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 Of the
factory, Jack Hardy, young man about
my own age, often runs along the brick
work, the practice giving him a singular
delight that has seemed to increase with
his proficiency in it. Having been clerk
in the works from the beginning, 1 have
frequently used the parapet for a foot
path, and although there was sheer fall
of one hundred feet to the ground, have
done it with ease and without dizziness.
Occasionally Hardy and l have run races
on the opposite walls, an exercise in which
L was invariably beaten, because l became
timid with increase of pace.
HopelesslY distanced last Wednesday,
while the men were off at noon, gave up
midway, and looking down, observed the
upturned face of an old man, gazing at me
with parted lips, wide eyes, and an ex-
preston of horror so startling that l in
voluntarily stepped down to the brick
layers platform inside. then saw that
the apparently frightened spectator was
Mr.. Petherick, who has been for some
weeks paymaster and factotum for the
contractors.
s'IYhat's the matter, Petherick?" called
down. He made no answer, but walking
off rapidly, disappeared round the mill.
Curious about his demeanor, l descended,
and, after some little seeking, found him
smoking alone.
''You quite frightened me just now, Peth-
erick," said /. did you think was a
ghost?"
Not just that" he replied, senten-
tioUsly.
Did you expect me to fall, them" in
-quired.
Not just that, either" said he The old
man was clearly disinclined TO talk, and ap-
parenuy much agitated. l began to joke
him about his lugubrious expression, when
the one-o'clock bell rang, and he shuffied
of hastily to another quarter.
Though l puzzled awhile over the incl
dent, it soon passed so entirely from my
mind that l was surprised when, passing
Petherick in the afternoon, intending to go
,aloft, he said, as l went by:
Don't do it again, Mr.. FrazerW
"Wkat?" l said.
''Thatn he retorted.
go! You mean running on the wall /"
said l.
Il mean going on it at alp he ex-
claimed. His earnestness was so marked
that 1 conceived a strong interest in its
cause.
'.I'll make bargain with you, Mr.. Peth-
erick. If you tell me why you advise me,
III give the thing upw
"Donew said he. "Come to my cottage
this evening, and I'll tell you a strange ad-
venture of my own, though perhaps you'll
only laugh that it's the reason why it sick
Ems me to see you fooling up there"
Petherick was ready TO talk when Jack
aud sat down on his doorsteps that even
nd iunn loft al lannphan Intn he
following NARRATIVES:
Il 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 preci-
pices. My companions and [ used to get
much excitement, and sometimes a good
deal of pocket money, by taking their eggs.
One of us, placing his feet in a loop at the
end of a rope and taking 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 hundred feet OF
rope before / touched ledge and let CO."
.'What ledger" asked Jack.
"Ohw said Petherick, after a pause. 81
see it will be troublesome to make you I'M
derstand the situation" Then, after re-
fecting for some moments
J,
along that coast overhang the sea. At
many points one could drop six hundred
feet into the sea, and then be forty or fifty
feet frOmithe 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 running
in on higher levels. There will be an over
hanging coping, then some hundred feet
down, a ledge sticking out farther than
that of the top; under that ledge all will be
.scoOped away. In places there are three or
four such lodges, each projecting farther
than those above. These lodges used to
fall away occasionally, as they do yet, l
sam told, for the ocean is gradually devour-
ing that coast. Where they did not project
farther than the upper coping, one would
swing like a pendulum on the rope, and
get on the rock, if not too far in. then put
a rock on the loop to hold it till his return.
When ledge did project so that one could
drop straight on il, he ha;:ied down some
SLACK and left the rope hanging"
Ibid the wind never blow it Off" asked
Jack.
1'Seldom, and never out of reach" said
the old man. ''Well, the ledge I reached
was like this" illustrating with his hands.
alt was some six feet wide; it stuck out
may be some ten feet farther than the cliff
top: the rock wall went up pretty near
perpendicular, till near the coping at the
ground, but below the ledge the cliffs face
was so scooped away that the sea, five
hundred feet below, ran in under 1t nigh
City feet.