Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1885-05-07
New Series-Vol. 25. No. 1o

that I,could not continue to look out
over that abyss without glancing down,
and that 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 walk along it erect, looking
down as you would have to? Yet it 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 or jump off !
Would you not, in an ecstacy of nervous
agitation, fall to your knees, get down
face first at full length, clutch by your
hands and with shut eyes feel your way ?
L longed to lie down and hold, but of
course that was impossible s1
Still there was wall at your back,
observed Jack.
That made it worse! 1t did, in fact,
incline very slightly outward. 1t seem
ed to be thrusting me of. Oh, the hor-
ror of that sensation! Your toes on the
edge of a precipice, and the impIacable
calm mountain apparently weighing you
slowly forward ~.
Beads of sweat broke out over his
white face at the horror he had called
before BIN. Wiping his lips nervously
with the back of his hand, and looking
askant, as at the narrow pathway, he
paused long. l saw its cruel edge and
the dark CLEANS of its abysmal water.
1 knew he resumed, that with my
back to the wall j could never reach the
rope. could not face toward it and
step forward. SO narrow was the ledge.
Motion was perhaps barely possible that
way, but the breadth of my shoulders
would bave forced me to lean some.
what more outward, and this 1 dared
net and could not do. Also to see a SOL
id surface before me became an irresisti-
BILE desire. resolved to try to turn
round before resuming the desperate
journey. To do this had to nerve my
self for one steady look at my footing.
In the depth below the myriad sea-
fowl then rested on the black water,
which, though swelling more with the
rising wind, had yet an unbroken sur
face at some little distance from the
precipice, while further out it had be
gun to jump to white caps, and in be-
meath me, where could not see,it dashed
and eburned with faint, pervading
roar that could barely distinguish. Be
fore the descending sun sheaVy bank of
cloud had arisen. The oceans surface
bore that appearances of intense and an
CRY gloom that often herald storm, bat
save the deep murmur going out from
far below my perch, all to my hearing
was deadly still. TiF.
Cautiously swung my right foot be-
fore the other. and carefully edged
around. For an instant, as my shoulder
rubbed against the rock. 1 felt that
must fall. did stagger, in fact, but the
next moment stood frn, face to she
beetling cliff, my heels on the very edge.
and the new sensation of the abyss be-
hind me no less horrible than that from
which l had with such difficulty escaped. |
stood quaking. A delirious horror |
thrilled every nerve. The skin about |
my ears and neck, suddenly cold, shrank |
Wild with fear, thrust forward my
head against the rock and rested in ago |
ny. 4 whir and wind of sudden wings
made me conscious of outward things |
again. Then a mad eagerness to climb |
swept away ether feeling, and my hands |
attempted in vain to clutch the rock |
Not daring to cast my head back
ward, drew it tortoise-like between my
raised shoulders and chin against the
precipice, and gazed upward with strain
ing of vision from under my eyebrows.
Far above the dead wall stretched.
Sidewise glances gave me glimpses of
the projecting summit coping. There
was no hope in that direction. But the
of scanning the cliff side had
given my strained nerves some relief; to
my memory again returhed the promise
of the Almighty and the consciousness
of His regard. Once more nay muscles
became firm strung.
a cautious. step sidewise made me
know how much l had gained in ease
and security of motion by the change of
front. l made progress that seemed al
most rapid for some rods, and even had
in my quick approach to the
rope. Hence came to freedom to think
how 1 should act on reaching it, and
speculation as to how soon my comrades
would haul nae up.
Then the idea rushed through me that
they might even yet draw it away too
soon; that while almost in my clutch il
might rise from my hands. Instantly
al the terrors of my position returned
with tenfold force; an outward thrust
IF the precipice seemed to grow distinct,
ny trembling hands told me that it
moved bodily toward me. the descent
behind me took an unspeakable remote
ness, and from the utmost depth of that
Iheer air seemed to ascend steadily
leadly and chilling wind. But l think
did not stop for an instant. Instead
/ delirium to move faster possessed me.
Ind with quick, sdelong steps-my fol-
owing foot striking hard against that
,efore-s etimes on the point of stum-
bling, stretched out like the erueided,
pressed in mortal terror along.
Every possible accident and delay was
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