Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-05-09
PETHERICK'S PERIL

hfteen feet between floors; there are seven such
over the basement, and this rises six feet above
the ground. The brick walls narrow to eight
inches as they ascend. and form parapet ris-
Ing above the roof. One of the time-ksepers In
the factory, Jack Hardy, young man a bout
my own age. often runs along the brick work the
practice giving him singular delight that has
seemed to increase with his proficiency in 1t
Having been clerk in the works from the be-
ginning, L have frequently used the parapet
Tor foot-path, and although there was a sheer
Iall or one hundred feet to the ground, have
done 1t with ease and without dizziness. Oc-
casionally Hardy and have run races, on the
opposite walls. an exercise In which was in.
variably beaten, because 1 became timid with
increase of pace.
Hopelessly distanced last Wednesday. while
the men were off at noon, gave I'D midway
and looking dogn, observed the upturned face
Oh an ola man, gazing at me with parted lips
vide eyes, and an expression OF horror so start
ing that invoiuntarily stepped down to the
bricklayers' platform inside. then saw that
the apparently frightened spectator was MIR.
Petferick, who has been for some weeks pay
master and factotum for the contractors.
w hats the matter. Petherick?r I called
GOWN; He made no answer, but walking OF
rapidly Disappeared round the mill. Curl
Gus ts about ms demeanor, 1 descended, and
after some little seeking, found him smoking
1'one.
You quite frightened me just now. Pether-
lex, said L, Did you think / was ghost:"
Not just that. he replied sententiously.
Did you expect me to fall, them" l in
Not just that either said he. The old man
was clearly dsinclned to talk, and apparently
much agitated. / began to Joke him about
us lu2uDrlous express ON, when the one O'Clock
cell rang, and he shutfied OFF hastily to another
quarter.
Though I puzzled awhile over the incident,
IL soon passed SO entirely from my mind that
was surprised when passing Petherick in the
AFTERNOON, intending to go aloft, he said, as I
Don't do it again, Mr.. Frazer!"
w hat?' L stopped.
THAT" he retorted.
oh You mean running On the WALL"
81 mean going on 1t at ll.''.he exclaimed His
earnestness was so marked that l conceived a
strong interest in its cause.
III make bargain with you. Mr.. Pethericll
II you tell me why you advise me I'll give the
thing up,
evening, and I'll tell you strange adventure
of my own. though perhaps you'n only laugh
that 1t the reason why it sickens me to see
You fOoling UP there
Pethercll was ready to talk when Jack and
at down on his doorstep that evening, and inn
nediately launched into the following nara
tive:
g! was born and grew to manhood near the
nigh cliffs of the coast of Cornwall. Millions
Of sea-fowls make their nests along the face of
tnose Wave-Worn precipiceS. My companions
and used to get much excitement, and some
times good deal of pocket money, by taking
their eggs. One of Us, placing his feet in a loop
at the end of rope and taking good grip
with his hands, would be lowered by the others
TO the nest.
when ne 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 hundred feet of rope before 1
touched the ledge and let gO.'
" w hat ledge?" asked Jack.
COR said Petherick, after a pause. "I SEQ
1t will be troublesome to make YOU understand
The situation" Then. after rejecting for some
moments
"You must know that most of the cliffs along
that coast oNerhan9 the sea. At manv points
one could drop six hundred feet into the sea-
and then be forty or fifty feet from the base OF
the the rock he sf The coast is scooped under BY
rs though 1t had been eaten away by seas once
running in on higher levels. There will be an
overhanJing coping. then. some hundred feet
Gown. ledge sticking out further than that of
the top; under that ledge all Will be scooped
away. In places there are three four such
Lodges, each projecting further than those above
These lodges used to fall away occasionally. as
they do yet, am told, for the ocean is gradually
devouring that coast. Where they did not pro-
Ject further than the upper coping one would
swing like a pendulum on the rope, and get on
the rock, II not too far in, then put q rock on
the loop to hold it till his return. When ledge
dld PROJECT so that one could drop straight
on it, he hauled down some slack and left the
rope hanging"
did the wind ever blow 1t off," asked Jack.
seldom, and never out OF reach said the
olu man: We'll, the ledge / reached was like
this, lllq l with his hands, at was
some ten feet wide: il stuck out maybe six feet
further than the cliff top; the rock wall went up
pretty near PERPENDICULAR, till near the coming
at the ground, but below the ledge the cliffs
lace was so scooped away that the sea, five hun
dred feet below, ran in under it nigh fifty feet.
las went down. thousands of birds rose
rom the jagged places OF the precipice, circling
around me with harsh screams. Soon touching
the ledge, stepped from the loop, and drawing
down little Slack, walked off briskly For
fully quarter of a mile the ledge ran along the
cliffs lace almost as level and even in width as
that sidewalk. / remember fancying that it
sloped outward more than usual, but Instantly
CnfT D.
the oldest man in that countryside used to tell
us that we should not get the use of that ledge
always. 1t had been as steady in our time as in
MS grandfathers, and We only laughed at his
prophecies. Yet the place.Of an old filled fssure
was marked by line OF grass by tufts of weeds
and small bushes stretching almost as far as
the ledge Itself, and within foot or SO of the
cliffs face.
Eggs were not so many as usual, and I
went long piece from my rope before turning
back. Then noticed the very strange conduct
OF the hosts OF sea-fOwls below. Usually there
were hundreds, but now there were millions on
the wing, and instead Of darling forth In playful
motions, they seemed to be wildly excited
screaming shrilly, rushin. out in terror and
returning in masses though to alight, only
clouds.
"The weather was beautiful, the sea like
glass; AT no great distance two large briggs and
nearer small yacht, lay becalrned, heaving on
the long pillows. could look down her cabin
s stair almost and it seemed scarcely more
than q long leap to her deck.
"PuzZled by the singular conduct of the sea-
birds, ! soon stopped and set my back against
the Gin TO rest while watching them. The day
was deadly still and very warm.
II remember taking off my cap and wipine
the sweat from my face and forehead with my
sleeve While doing this, looked down inyoI.
unfairly 10 the assure at my feet. Instantly
my blood almost froze with horror! There was
g distinct crack between the inner edge OF the
assure and the hard-packed root-threaded soil
with which 1T was filled, Forciby pressed back
ana In hash looked along the edge. The fis-
sure was widening under my eyes, the rock
before me seemed sinking outward and with a
snudoer ana a groan and a roar, the whole long
platform fell crashing to the sea below! l stood
ON margin OF rock scarce q foot wide, at nv
feet below the ocean, now almost hidden by the
vast concourse of wheeling and atrighted birds
"Can you believe that my first sens alton was
one oil relief? stood safe. Even a feeling of
coolly observed long and mighty wave roll
out from beneath. 1t went forth with q high
curling creSt-a solid wall of water. 1t struck
the yacht stern on, plunged down on her deck,
her out of sight forever
Not Till then did my thoughts dwell entirely
on my own position; not till then did / com.
prehsno lts hopeiessness! now my eyes closed
convulslvely, to shut out the abyss down which
my glance had fallen; shuddering, l pressed
nara against the solid wall at my back: an
appalling cold slowly crept through me! MY
reason struggled against wild desire to leap;
an the demons OF despair whispered to me to
make an instant end. In Imagination l had
leaped! l felt the swoonng heIpleness of fall
ing, and the cold, upward rush OF air!
nIin pressed nard back against the wall of
rock, ana, though nearly faint from terror
never forgot for an instant the death at nv feet
nor the utter danger of the slightest motion
row long this weakness lasted l know not:
oniy know That the unspeakable horror of that
hrst perlod mas come to me in waking dreams
many ana many day since; that have long
hlgh!s Oh that deadly fear; that to think of the