Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1885-08-14

bushes, stretching aImost as far as the
ledge itself, and within q foot or SO Of the
cliff 4 face. n .5 Is 81 5s
81 /" Eggs we're not so many as usual,
and I went.a long piece from my rope
before turning back. Then I noticed
the very strange conduct Of the hosts Of
sea-fowls below. Usually there were
hundreds, but now there we're millions
on the wing, and instead Of dartlng
forth in playful motions, they seemed
to be wildly excited, screaming shrilly,
rushing out in terror, and returning in
masses as though to alight, only to
wheel in dread, and keep the air in vast
clouds.
The weather was beautiful, the sea
like glass. At no great distance two
large briggs, and nearer small yacht,
lay becalmed, heaving on the long bill
lows. I could look down her cabin
stairway almost, lnd it seemed scarcely
more than long leap to her deck.
Puzzled by the singular conduct Of
the sea- birds, T soon stopped and set
my back against the cliff to rest while
watching them. The day was deadly
still and very warm. T: .... 49,. -
remember taking off my hat and
wiping the sweat from my face and tore
head with my sleeve. While doing this,
I looked down involuntarily to the ifs
sure at n,Y feet. INSTANTLY my blood
almost iroze with horror! There was a
distinct crack 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 flash
looked along the edge. The fssure
was widening under my eyes, the rocl;
before me seemed sinking outward, and
with shudder and groan and roar,
the whole long platform fell crashing
to the sea below! I stood on margin
of rock scarce foot wide, at my back a
perpendicular cliff, and five hundred
feet below tbs ocean, now almost hidden
by the vast concourse of wheeling and
afrighted birds.
"Can you believe that my first sensa-
ton was one of relief? i stood safe
Even feeling of interest held me- for
some mo nents. Almost coolly 7 OBJ
served a long and mighty wave roll out
Ii oAA DCuSAU1. IL NcilU 1Ct ia WILL
high, curling crest--a solid wall OF
water! 1t struck the yacht stern on,
plunged down on her deck, smashed
through her swell OF sail, and swept her
out of sight forever.
f'Not till then did my thoughts dwell
entirely on my own position; not till
then did comprehend its hopelessness
now my eyes closed convulsiyely, tc
shut out the abyss down which my
glance had fallen; shuddering, pressed
hard against the solid wall at my back
an appalling cold slowly crept through
me! My reason struggled against a
wild desire to leap; all the demons OF
despair whispered to me to make All in
slant end. In imagination had leaped
I felt the swooning helplessness of fall
ing, and the cold, upward rush of air
Still I pressed hard back against the
wall of rock, and, though nearlv faint
from terror, never forgot for an instant
the death at my feet, nor the utter
danger Of the slightest motion. How
long this weakness lasted / know not; I
only know that the unspeskable horror
of that first period has come to me in
waking dreams many and many q day
since; that / have long nights Of that
deadly fear; that to think Of the past is
to stand again on that narrow foothold,
and to look around on the earth is often
to cry out with JOY that it widens away
from my feet"
The old man paused long. CHANGING
siaewise at Jack, L saw that his face
was pallid. I myself had shuddered
and grown cold.--so strongly had my
imagination realized the awful expert
ence that Petherick described.
''Suddenly," said the old man, "these
words rushed to my brain: Are not
two sparrows sold for farthing? And
one Of them shall not fall on the ground
without your Father. Fear not, there
fore; ye are of more value than many
sparrows.' Ny faculties so strained I
seemed to hear the words. Indeed,
often yet think that I did truly hear a
voice utter them very near me.
INSTANTLY hope arose, consciously
desperate indeed, bnt I became calm,
resourceful, capable, and feeling I'M
accountably aided. Careful not to look
down I 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 briggs moved to-
ward the horizon. Turning my head l
could trace the narrow stone of my
footing to where my rope dangled, per-
haps three hundred yards distant.
1T seemed to hang within easy reach
of the cliff face and Instantly resolved
and as instantly proceeded to work to-
ward it. No time remained for hesita-
tion. Night WAS coming On. l rea'
soned that nv comrades thought me
killed. They had probably gone tc
view the new condition OF the precipice
from a lower station, and on their re-
turn would haul up and carry off the
rope, I made move toward it. Try
to think of that journey!"
. nodded to him silently.
"Shuffling sideways very carefully,
had not made five yards before I knew
that I could not continue to look out
over that abyss without glancing down,
and that I could not glance down with
out losing my senses. You have the
brick line to keep eyes on as you walk
along the factory wall; do you think
you could move along it erect, looking
down as yon would have to? Yetit is
only one hundred feet high. Imagine
five more such walls ON top of that, and
you trying to move sidewise--incapable
Of closing your eyes, forced to look
down, from end to end yes, three times
further! Imagine you've got to go on OF
jump off. Would you not, in an ecstasy
Of nervous agitation, fall to your knees,
get down face first at full length, clutch
by your hands and with shut eyes feel
z.as. = o.. Il 1nr, nrnd Ia La dnwr, a., q