New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-04-26
PETHERICK'S PERIL.

roof One of the time keepers Ill the factory, JAIN
Hardy Young man about my own age, often runs
along the brick work. the practice giving nm q
singular delight that has seemed to increase WIN
his proficiency in it. Having been a clerk III tns
works from the beginning. have frequently useu
fhr narapet for fo0t-path. and although there was
sheer fall of hundred feet TO the groun s,;nsss
done it with ease and without .os On the
Occasionally Hardy and have run races: in ;nvari
onnoste walls an exercise IN when was s III
ahiv beaten, because became tlmid WIFI inoio''o
of pace , lac. "Wednesday. while the
men were Off at noon, gave up a fsce Of a an
looking down osser s with hh parted lips wide eyes
ON, d an expression of horror so startling tnat
;nyoluntarily stepped down TO the orloh ray,is
10 farm inside / then saw that the apparently
{richfcned spectator was Mr.. Pethefick, VINO mas
heen for some weeks paymaster and factoium FOL
'ne Wbats the matter, Petherck ~ called lowi-
He made no answer, bnt walking of rapidly dis
anneared round the mill. Curious about his
demeauor | descended, and alter some htIie
seeking found him smoking alone.
sYoa quite frightened me just now; PetherIcK''
said l. "'Did you think was ghost "
Not lust that" he replied seDtentionsy.
@Dii you expect me to fall, then y inquired.
@Hot lust that, either" said he. The old man
was clearly disinclined to talk, and apparently
much agitated. l began to joke HIM about hls
incuLri,lns expression when the oclOcS bell rang,
and he shuiiled off hastily to another quarter
Tbough | puzzled awhile over the incident, u
soon passed SO entirely from my mind that was
surnriscd when passing Pctherck IN the afternoon.
intending to go acft. he said, as went by
Don't DO III dyliti, NIL IldLVi'
"What 7" stopped:
aThat ~ he retOrtcd 49,.
GOhi You mean running on the wall, saiG L.
81 mean gong on it at all !" he exclaimed. HIS
earnestness was so marked that conceived a
strong interest in its cause - n, ,e
IN make bargain with You, Mr.. Pctherick; III
Won tell me why you advise me, I'll give the thing
"gg Done ~ said he. "Come to my cottage this
eveninc and I'll tell Won u strange adventure OF my
own Though perhaps you'll only laugh that IT'S the
reason. why it sckens me TO see you iooi'hg UP
there" ~,
down ON his doorstep that evening and Immediately
launched into the following narrative:
al was born and grew to manhood near the hlgh
cliffs of the coast of Cornwall. Millions of sea
fowls make their nests along the face OF those
wave worn precipices. Ny companions and used
to Get much excitement. and sometimes good dea
of probationary. by taking their eggs. one OF
us placing his feet in loop at the end OF rope ana
taking a good grip with bis hands, would DC
lowered by the others 10 the nest ~
@When he had his basket full they'd haul him
ND, and another would 90 down. Well, orc alter
noon thus went dangling of. They pad ont abonta
hundred feet OF rope before toucheu the leuRe ahu
sWhat ledge ~ asked Jack.
aOhr SAID Petherick. after a pause. . | see u
will be troublesome to make you understand the
situation" Then, after rejecting Tor some
mowentsm ,,,v +,ot most If the cliffs oIopg
that coast overhang the sea. At many points one
could drop six hundred feet into the sea
and then be TSce Ss 3 The from Soast tbs
s Sase 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 overhanglng coping then. some
hundred feet down. ledge sticking out further
than that Of the top under that ledge all Will be
scooped away. In places there are three or four
such lclges, each projecting further than those
above These lodges used to fall away occasionally.
as they do yet. am told for the ocean Is gradually
deyouriug that roast. Where they did not project
further than the upper coping. one would swing
like pendulum on the rope and get on the rock y
not to- far m then pn roIS on tn O@ 80 S Nd
one could drop straight on It, he haned down some
slack aud left the rope hanging"
add the wind ever blow 1t OIL r. asked Jack.
seldom, and never out OF reach said the
old man. We'll, the ledge reached was like
this" illustrating with his hands, ~ was
further than the cliff top; the rock wall went up
pretty near perpendicular till near the cop ng AT
so scooped away that the sea; i've hundred feet
below, ran in under it nigh fifty feet
"As l went down: thousands of birds rose from
the Jagged places of the precipce circllng around
me with harsh screams Soon touching the 10 lge
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
level aud even in width as that sidewalk /
remember fancying That it sioped outward more
than usual. but instantly dismissed the notion,
thouqb CATER Pentreath, the oldest man IN that
countryside used to tell us that we should not got
the of that ledge WAYS. 1t had been as steady
in our time rs IN his grandfather's. and we only
laughed at his prophecies Yet the place of an old
filled fsSure was marked by a line of grass. by
tufts of weeds and small ushes. stretching almost
rs far rs Tie ledge ITSELF and within foot or so OF
the cliffs face
sEggs were not many as usual, and went
long piece from my rope before turning back.
Then 1 noticed the very strange conduct of the
hosts of sea-fowls below. Usually there were
hundreds but there were millions on the
wing. and instead of dartng forth IN playiul
motions. they seemed to be wildly excited,
screaming shrilly. rushing ont in terror, anu
returning in masses though TO alight, only To
nj. IN nd cen the a in vast clOu0S
~The weather beautiful the sea like glass.
At no great distance two large brigs, and nearer
Sows s"I"t could look down her cabin stairway
almost, and it seemed scarcely more than long
leap to her deck.
/ soon stopped and set my back against the cliff to
rest while watching them. The day was deadly
still and very warm.
sweat from NY face and forehead with my sleeve.
While doing this, / looked down invountarily to
the ssGre at my iset lnsnty my d oG0d almost
between the inner edge of the assure and the hard
packed. root threaded soil with which it was
filled, Forcibly l pressed back, and in a flash
ioo ed along the ledge. The assure was widening
under my eyes, the rock before me seemed sinking
outward and with shudder and groan aud roar.
the whole long platform fell crashing to the sea
below | stood a margin of rock scarce a foot
wide. at my back q perpendicular cliff, and five
hundred feet below the ocean. now almost hdacn
SIrd ds' vast ''n''ar'' OF wheeling and ''S'''a
aCan you believe that my first sensation was one
of relieff stood safe Even feeling of interest
held me for some moments. Almost coolly |
observed loug and mighty wave roll out from
beneath. 1t went forth with a high. curling crest
a solid wall Of water! IL struck the yacht stern
on plunged down on her deck. smashed through her
swell of sail. and swept her out of sight forever
sNot till then did my thoughts dwell entirely on
MY own positions; not till then did comprehend
its hopelcS sness! Now my eyes closed convuslvey,
to shut out the abyss down which my glance had
fallen; shuddering, l pressed hard against the
solid wall at my back All appalling cold slowly
crept through mel My reason struggled against a
wild desire to leap all the demons OF despair
whispered to me TO mako an instant end. In
imagination I had leaped! i felt the swoOning
helplessness Of falling, 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 ut my feet nor the