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

there are seven suca oyer the basement.
and this rises six feet above the ground
The brick walls narrow to eight inches
as they ascend, and form a parapet rio
ing above the roof. One Of the time.
keepers in the factory, Jack Hardy. 4
young man about my own age. oftsn
runs along the brick work, the practice
giving him a singular delight that has
seemed to increase with his proficiency
in it. Having been clerk in the works
from the beginning, / have frequently
used the parapet for a foot-path, and
although there was a sheer fall Of one
hundred feetto the ground, have done
it with ease and without dizziness. Oc-
~cassionally Hardy and I have run races.
on the opposite walls, an exercise in
which was invariably beaten, because
I became timid with increase Of pace.
Hopelessly distanced one day, while
the men were off at noon, / gave up mid
way, and looking down, observed the up
turned face of an old man, gazing at me
with parted lips, wide eyes, and an ex-
preston of horror so startling that I
voluntarily stepped down to the brick
layers platform inside. I then saw
that the apparently frightened spec
tator was Mr.. Petherick, who had been
for some weeks paymaster and factotum
for the contractors.
Whats the matter, Petherick?" ]
called down. He made no answer, but
walking off rapidly disappeared round
the mill. Curious about his demeanor,
/ descended, and after some little seek
ing, found him smoking alone.
"You quite frightened me just now,
P~etherick," said /, odd you think
was a ghost?"
"Not just that" he replied, senten-
tiously.
did you expect me to fall, Them"
inquired.
"Not just that either" said he. The
old man was clearly disinclined to talk,
and apparently much agitated. / be-
gan to joke him about his ~lugubrious
expression, when the one o'clock bell
rang, and he shuf1ed off hastily to an
other quarter.
Though / puzzled awhile over the
incident, it soon passed so entirely from
my mind that ! was surprised when,
passing Petherick in the afternoon
intending to 60 aloft, he said, as went
by
Don't do it again, Mr.. Frazer!"
"What?" / stopped.
"Thatl" he retorted.
"Ohl You mean running on The
WALL" said /.
"Imean going on it at all !" he exclaim-
ed. His earnestness was SO marked
that I conceived a strong interest in its
eaase.
4TIl make q bargain with you, Mr..
Pether;ck. If You tell me why you adj
wise me I'll give the thing upp
1Donen said he. "Come to my cot
tage this evening, and I'll tell you a
strange adventure of my own, though
perhaps you'll only laugh that it's the
reason why it sickens me to see you
fooling mp there"
Petherick was ready to talk when
Jack and I sat down on his doorstep
that evening, and Immediately launched
into the following narrative:
AZ was bern and grew to manhood
near the high cliffs ct the coast OF Corn
wall. Millions Of sea-fowls make their
nests along the face Of those wave-worn
precipices. My companions and ! used
to Get much excitement, and sometimes
a good deal Of pocket money, by tax
ing their eggs. One Of us, placing his
feet in q loop at the end Of q rope and
taking a good grip with his hands.
would be lowered by the Others to the
nest. ),
aVhen he had his basket full they'd
haul him up, and another would go
down. Well, one afternoon THUS went
dangling off. They paid out about 9
hundred feet Of rope before | touched
the ledge and let go"
"What ledge? ?" asked Jack.
aOh!D said Petherick, after a pause.
III see it will be troublesome TO make
you understand the situation. linen,
after rejecting for some moments
nYou must know that most OF the
cliffs along that coast overhang the sea.
AT many points one could drop SIX
hundred feet into the sea, and incl pe
fortyor fifty feet from the base q tne
rock he left. The coast IS scooped I'M
der hy the waves. But IN some places
the cliff wall is as though It nad
been eaten away by seas oncu
runningin on higher levels. Ihere VII