New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-04-26
precipce from lower station, and on their return
wonid harl IN and carry of the rope. / made
move toward It, Try TO think Of that Journey
al

L
aSbulIinr sidewise very carefully, had not made
! five Yards before knew that could not continue
| to look out over that abyss without glanchg 3oMh,
! and that I could not glance down without losing
NV senses. You have the brick line to keep eyes
| on AS Won walk along the factory wall DO you
think you could move aSog u srec ny hundred
feet high Imagine five more such walls on Top OF
that and you trying to move sldewise-incapaoie OF
| closing your ewes, forced to look down, from end
J to end yes, three times further Imagine you've
got to go or jump off! Would you not, IN an
ecstasy of nervous agitation fall to your knees get
down face-iirst at full length, clutch by your nanns
and with shut eyes feel your way ionged 70 lie
down and hold, but of course that was Impossible.
J "Still there was wall at your back" observer
"That made it worse! The cliff seemed to press
outward against me- 1t did in fact incline v9pe s
! Off Oh the horror of that sensation! your Toes
| on the ege of !, precipice, and the impacabe calm
mountain apparently weighing you Slowly ioi'
| ward" ,, u,;.o tooo .,
! the horror he had called before inm. WIphg MS
lips nervously with the back OF bis hand ana loon
| ing askant. as at the narrow pathway, ne pauseI
| long | saw its cruel edge and tue dark CLEANS OF
Il knew he resumed, " that with my back to the
wall could never reach the rope. could not lace
toward it and step forward so barrow waS ,S Snt
| ledge Motion was perhaps barely possible tnat
| way but the breadth of my shoulders wouli nave
| forced me to lean somewhat more outward ana
this | dared not and could not do. Also 10 see n
solid surface before me became an lrrss,su l
| desire | resolved to try to turn iound peioIg
resuming the desperate journey 10 90 tnls n"u
| TO nerve myself for ono steady look nc my footing.
| ain the depth below the myriad sea-iowl Gheh
| rested on the black water. which, though swelling
more with the rising wind had YET an unnrph ;ca
| while further out it had begun to jump to white.
| caps and in beneath me- where could not see. IL
| that | could barely distinguish before Tue
| descending sun heavy bank oil cloud had aliSc'';
intense and angry gloom that often hcralds storm,
| but save the deep mnrmur gong out from iar
| below my perch. all to my hearing was ceadly stu.
Cautiously l swung my right loot before the
other and carefully edged around. For an instant.
| as my shoulder rubbed against the rock ielt that
must fail did stagger IN iact; Dnt c .Hg "TN v
heels on the very edge and the new sensation OF the
abyss behind me no less horrible than that IRON
| which had with such difficulty escaped stood
Guaking. A delirous horror thrilled every nerve
The skin about my ears and neck, suddenly coid'
shrank convulsively. , ,-, $500. ,oo,
against the rock and rested in agony. whlr ana
wind of sudden wings made me conscious OF i ONT
| swept away other feeling, and my hands attempted
| in VAN to clutch the rock Not daring to cast my
head backward, drew it tortoise-likc between my
raised Shou ders and chin against the preclplce, ana
| gazed upward with straining OF vision from unuer
Far above the dead wall stretched: Sidewiso
! chances gave me gmpses of the projecting summit
| Gaming There WIS no - s that direction. But
the distraction OF scanning t1c clif-Sde had gwen
| nv strained so'de relief {; to my memory
again returned the promise of the Almighty aud the
| consciousness of His regard Once more my muscles
| became firln-strnng
| much had gained in ease and security Of motion
| by the change of front. i made progress mat
seemed almost rapid for some rods, ana even hah
| exultation III my quick approach To ths rope.
| Hence came freedom to think how should act on
| reaching it. and speculation as to how soon my
| comrades would haul me up.
q Then the .dea rushed through that they
IN ght even yet draw IL away too soon that WINE
almost in nv clutch it might rise from my hands:
| all h.
| with tenfold force; an outward thrust OF the
| precipice seemed to grow distinct. my trembling
hands told me that 1t moved DO lily toward me- the
| descent behind me took unspeakabc rcmoteness,
aud from the utmost depth OF that sheer AR seemed
to ascend steadily deadly and chiliiIg whd,
But think did not stop for al instant. Instead
| delrium to move faster possessed me, anu with
| quick. sdelong steps-my following loot striking
hard against that before sometimes on the point
| of stumbling, stretched out like the crucliied, i
| pressed in mortal terror along,
! TO my excited brain. What If the ledge should
| narrow suddenly 10 nothngf Now believed that
| my heels unsupported in air. and moved
| narrow pathway sloped outward. that this slope
| had become distinct. so Increasingly distinct,
that might at any moment Sip on ,nt3 tue VII.
disaster, still that of the need Tor speed ana
distinct amid all other terrors was that sensation Of
| the dead wall ever silently and inexorably press
Nv mouth and throat were chokcd with dryness.
my convulsive lips parched and ara much
longed To press them against the cold moist stone.
| But never stopped. Faster, faster-morc wildly
| / stepped-in a delirium | pushed along. Then
suddenly before my staring eyes was a well-remem-
bercd edge OF mossv stone and knew that the
rome should be directly behind me. Was III
NOT g gI hr see 0ysr Wdy ooRed the Other
no rope Almighty God and hast Thou deserted
mel 80 $500.
| disappears-t return again to view! There was
| the rope directly at my back, swinging IN the now
strong breeze with motion that had carried II
| tryf tn1 Uln le
relief tears pressed to my eyes and-face bowed TO
the precipice. almost forgctful for little time of
the hungry air boneath-I offered deep thanks to my
| God for the delivery that seemed so near"
| The old mans lips continued to move. but no
sonnd came from them We waited silent while,
| with closed eyes aud bent head, he remained
absorbed in the recollection of that strange minute
q stood there ho said at last. for what now
| seems space of hours perhaps half minute in
| reality. Then all the chances still TO BIO run
crowded upon me- TO turn around had been an
most certainly the ledge was no wider where now
stood. Was the rope within reach feared not
| Would il sway toward mel ! conld hope for that.
But could grasp it should ] be sayedi Would
| it not yield to my hand-coming slowly down as
pulled, unrollng from coil above, trailing over
at eds the tSR snd%snv at II o
Was fastened to The accustome sake Was any
comradc near who would summon and Mt my signal
ii not, and if graSped il, and If 1t held, how long
should swing in the W ind that now bore the fresh
ness and tremors of an imminent galef
"NOw again fear took hold on me. and rs
desperate man prepared to turn my face once more
| to the vast expanso of water and nothing beyond
that awful cliff. Closing my eyes, writhcd with !
| know not what motions. easily around till again
my back pressed against the precipice. That was
n restfui sensation. And now for the decision Of
nv fate looked at the rope. Not for moment
could fancy it within my reach! Its swayings
were not as / had expected. slightly inward,
but when falling back against the wind. il swung
outward as though the air were eddying from tho
wall
"Nbw / gazed down steadily. Would leap be
| certain death7 The water was of immense depth
below But what chance of striking il feet or
head frstf What chance of preserving conscious
ness in the descentf No, the leap would be death
that ut least clear.
"Again tnrned to the rope was now perfectly
| lao, Int hevn he. hn.t