Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-05-03

wi "iHS IN masses as though TO allght.
only to wheel in dread, and keep the air
IN vast blouds.
-. me weather was beautiful, the sea
IKE Glass. At no great distance two
large briggs, and nearer small Yacht, law
oecalmed, heaving on the long pillows.
could look down her cabin stairway al
most, and 1t seemed scarcely more that a
long leap to her deck.
PUZZLED by the singular conduct of the
sea-Dlrds, 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 WHIP
ing the sweat fir, IN my face and forehead
with my sleeve. While dong this, /
looked down inyoluntarily to the fissure
at my feet. Instantly my blood almost
troze with horror. There was distinct
crack between the inner edge of the us
sure and the hard-packed. root-threaded
soil with which it was filed! Forcibly !
pressed back, and in q flash looked along
Inc ledge. The assure was widening I'M
ger my eyes, the rock before me seemed
sinking outward, and with shudder and
grOan aud roar, the whole long plat
form Tell crashing to the sea below! ]
stood on margin of rock scarce a foot
WIDE, at my back a perpendicular cliff,
ana hVe hundred feet below the ocean,
now almost hidden by the vast cOncourse
OF wheeling and atfrighted birds.
Gan you believe that my first sensa-
llon was one of relief? | stood safe.
Even feeling of interest held me tor
some moments. Almost coolly observed
long ana mighty wave roll out from be-
meath. 1t went forth with higl, curling
crest-a solid wall of water! 1t struck
me yacht stern on, plunged down on Ter
deck. smashed through her swell of sail,
and swept her out of sight forever.
Not till then did my thoughts dwell en-
tlrely on my own position; not till then
did comprehend its hopelessness! Now
my eyes closed c0nvulsively, TO shut out
the abyss down which my glance had
fallen; shuddering, Ipressed hard against
the solid wall at my back; an appalling
cold slowly crept through me! My rea-
son struggled against a wild desire to
leap; all the demons ofdespair whispered
to me to make an instant end. In i'm
aglnation had leaped! | felt the swoOn-
ing 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 tor an instant the
death at my feet, nor the utter danger OF
the slightt ST motion. How long this
weakness lasted | know not; l only know
that the uuspeakable horror of that first
period has come to me in waking dreams
many and many day siuce; that | have
long nisAts Of that deadly fear; that to
think Of the past is TO stand again on that
narrow foothold. aud to look around on
the earth is often 10 cry out with JOY that
it widens away from my feetp
The Old man paused long. CHANGING
sidewise at Jack, | saw that his tace was
pallid. l myself had shuddered and
grown cold, so strongly had my magma
ton realized the awful experience that
Petherick described.
"Suddenly," said the old man, ''these
words flashed to my brain: Are not two
sparrows sold for tarthing? And one
of them shall not fall on the ground with
out your Father. Fear not, therefore; ye
are OF more value than many sparrows.'
My faculties 50 strained, | seemed TO hear
the words. Indeed, Oitel yet think that
| did truly hear voice utter them very
near me.
"Instantly hope arose, consciously des-
perate indeed, but / became calm. re-
sourceful, capable, and feeling unac-
cOuntably aided. Careful not to look
down, l opened my eyes and gaZed far
away over the bright sea. The rippled
pillows told that light outward breeze
had sprung up. Slowly, and somewhat
more distant, the two brigs moved toward
the horizon. Turning my head, | could
trace the narrow stone Of my footing to
where my rope dangled, perhaps three
hundred yards distant.
sit seemed to hang within easy reach
of the cliffs face, and instantly resolved
and as instantly proceeded to work to-
ward it. No time remained for hesita-
ton. Night was com ny on. | reasoned
that my comrades thought me killed.
They had probably gone to view the new
condition Of the precipice from a lower
station, and on their return would haul
up and carry off the rope. Imade move
toward it. Try to think Of that jOurneyr'
nodded to him silently.
"Shutllng sidewise very carefully, l
had NOT made five yards before | knew
that / could not continue TO look out over
that abyss without glancng down, and
that l could not glance down without
losing my senses. You have the brick
line to keep eyes on as you walk along
the factory wall; do you think you could
N owe along it erect, looking down as you
would have TO? Yet it is only one hun
dred feet high. Imagine five more such
walls on top of that and you trying to
move sidewise-incapable of closing your
ewes. forced to look down, from end to
end, yes, three times further! Imagine
you We got TO 20 on or jump OFF! Would
you not, in an ecstacy of nervous agita-
tlOn, fall TO your knees, get down face
first at full length, clutch by your hands
and with eyes shut feel your way?
longed to lie down and hold, but of course
that was impossible"
"Still there was wall at your back"
Jack.
That made it worsel The elf seemed
TO press outward against me. H. did, in
fact. incline very slightly outward. II
seemed 10 be thrustlng me off. On, the
horror OF that sensatiOn Your toes on
the edge Of a preciplce, and the implaca-
bic, calm mountain apparently weighing
You slowly forward"
Beads OF sweat broke out over his white
face at the horror he had called before
him. Wiping his lips neryOusly with the
back OF his hand, and looking askant, as
at the narrow pathway, he paused long.
saw its cruel edge and the dark CLEANS
of it, abysmal water.
IL knew" he resumed, "that with my
back 20 the wall / could never reach the
rOpe. / could not face toward IL and step
forward, so narrow was the letge. Mo-
tion WAS perhaps barely possible that
way. but the breadth OF my shoulders
would have forced me 10 lean some what
more outward, and this 1 dared not and
could not do. Also, % see "A solid surface
before me became an irresistible desire.
/ resolved % try 10 turn round before re-
suming the desperate journey. To do
this had 90 nerve myself for one steady
look at my footing.