The Warner weekly sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1885, 1885-08-14

ENF~
most depth of that sheer air seemed to
ascend steadily a deadly and o chilling
wind. Bgt ] think I did not stop for
an instant. Instead a delirium to move
faster possessed me, and with quick,
sidelong steps-my following foot strik
ing hard against that before-sometimes
on the point of stumbling, stretched
out like the crucified, Ipressed in NOR
tai terror along.
Every possible accident and delay
was presented to my excited brain.
What if the ledge should narrow sud-
denly to nothing? Now / believed that
my heels were unsupported in air, and
/ moved along on tip-toe. Now / was
convinced that the narrow pathway
sloped outward, that this slope had be-
come so distinct, so increasingly dis
tinct, that / might at any moment slip
off into the void. But dominating every
consideration of possible disaster, was
still that of the need for speed, and dis
tinct amid all other terrors was that
sensation of the dead wall ever silently
and inexorably pressing me outward.
my mouth and throat were choked
with dryness, my convulsive lips parch-
| ed and arid; much ] lnnQed to press
them against the cold moist stone. But
/ never stopped. Faster, faster-more
wildly / stepped-in a delirium / pushed
along. Then suddenly before my star
ing eyes was a well-remembered edge
of messy stone, and I knew that the
rope should be directly behind me.
Wa it?
IL glanced over my left shoulder.
The rope was not to be seen? Wildly /
looked over the other-no rope! Al
mighty God! and hast Thou deserted
me?
"gut what! Yes, it moves it swGys
in sight it disappears-to return again
to view! There was tho rope directly
at my back, swinging in the now strong
breeze with a motion that had carried it
away from my first hurried chances.
With the relief tears pressed to my eyes,
and-face bowed to the precipice, al
most forgetful for q little time Of the
hungry air beneath--I offered deep
thanks to my God for the delivery that
seemed so near"
The old mans lips costinued to move,
but no sound came from them. We
waited silent while, with closed eyes and
bent head, he remained absorbed in the
recollection of that strange minute of
d~evoutness.
"I stood there" he said at last, "for
what now seems a space Of hours, per-
hapsh half a minute in reality. Then all
the chances still to be run crowded up
on me. To turn around had been an
attempt almost desperate before, and
certainly, most certainly, the ledge was
no wider where Inow stood. Was the
rope within reach? I feared not. Would
it sway toward me? / could nothope
for that.
But could grasp it should / be saved?
Would it not yield to my hand-coming
slowly down as / pulled, enrolling from
a coil above, trailing over the ground at
the top, running fast as its end APP
preached the edge, falling suddenly al
last? Or was it fastened to the ac-
customed stake? Was any comrade
near who would summon aid at my sig
nal? If not, and if / grasped it. and if
it held, how long should i swing in the
wind that now bore the freshness and
tremors of an imminent gale?
Nov again fear took hold on me, and
a desperate man / prepared to turn my
face once more to the vast expanse Of
water and nothing beyond that awful
cliff. Closing my eyes, | writhed, with
i know not what motions, easily around
till again my back pressed against the
precipice. This was a restful sensation.
And now for the decision of my fatel I
looked at the rope. Not for q moment
could / fancy it within my reach! Its
swaying were not, as / had expected,
even slightly inward, but when falling
back against the wind, ii swung out
ward as though the air were eddying
from the wall.
"NowI gazed down steadily. Would
q leap be certain death? The water
was Of Immense depth below. But what
chance Of striking it feet or head first ?
What chance of preserving conscious
ness in the descent? No, the leap would
be death; that at least was clear.
again 7 turned to the rope. I was
now perfectly desperate, but steady,
nerved beyond the best moments Of my
life, good for an effort surprising the
human. Still the rope swayed as be-
fore, and its motion was very regular.
/ saw that I could touch it at any point
OF its gyration by a strong leap.
"But could Igrasp it? What use if
it were not firmly secured above?
But all time for hesitation had gone by.
/ knew too well that strength was mine
but for a moment, and that IN the next
reaction Of weakness ] should drop from
the wall like a dead fly. Bracing my
self, watched the rope steadily for one
round, and as it returned against the
wind, jumped straight out over theshesv-
ing Atlantic.
"By Gods aid i reached, touched,
cJutchod held fha strong line And II