Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-11-03
little down there to remind you of heav-

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en-"
perhaps you are right" she admitted.
at would be new experience, anyhow
something quite as novel as what the an
clients say befel the old fellow who once
plunged into this crater. believing that he
would so be transformed into a god. He
was transformed into very bad quality
of roast meat instead. and the gods who
are said to run this concern resented and
rebuked his ambition bv f1ipgiDg one of
his shoes back upon the mountain side in
disgust. | wonder if they would serve
oblique view of the .goings-on' down
there. Why can't one look straight down
into the crater? In my opinion volcanoes
are not built right"
would not have been in the least sur.
prised had she left US at that moment with
hop. skip. and jump, disappearing down
broke out in fashion less emphatic and
Snatching rope from the belt of one of
the guides she hitched one end of it to
her waist and tossed the coil to me.
Il am going down there on the verge
OF the crater. for better view" she said
I udUG OulO TIC IOl1c 81 UOl ldll III.
Her father then opposed her for the first
| time during my acquaintance with the
Berwick family. Selling the rope. below
where it lay in my hands. he declared
that his daughter should not 90 single
step nearer the crater's brink than she
then was. But apparently he had never,
until then. fully realized how magnificent
| ly she was endowed with squelching quail
| tiles. She was standing on lava ridge,
which made her seem a foot the taller,
and she looked down at him with about as
much respect as a trout feels for worm.
81 am going down there on the verge
of the crater tor a better view" she said.
repeating her former words, and in tone
which showed how thoroughly she meant
business. 1T will be safer if someone
holds fast to this rope, to fetch me up in
case fall. | shall unfasten the rope
from my waist, though, and go without
it, unless you leave it alone
He dropped the rope as il it had been
rod of hot iron, and shrank before her
eyes as snow retreats before flames. An
instant later Miss Berwick was walking
deliberately down the declivity. and the
rope was playing out through my hands.
Nearer and nearer she approached the
brink, all calmness and unconcern, and
each step as firmly planted as if her feet
were butfeting the paving stones of Lon
don. MIR. Berwick and Lieutenant Jones
stood silently watching her in a frozen
sort OF way. The guides betrayed
neither interest nor anxiety.
At last she stood on the extreme brink
OF the crater, looking strai sht down The
rope was tight, and had TO brace myself
to hold it, she was leaning so far forward
Then all at once as was looking down at
it the rope slackened-so suddenly that
fell backward into the dust. The men
shouted wildly, and raised myself upon
my elbow and looked down the decivity,
where Miss Berwick had been standing.
She had disappeared
Instantly | sprang to my feet, and
rushed toward the spot from whence she
had fallen. The voices of the men made
a confused rumble in my ears, but could
hear, even more plainly. the almost deaf
ening pulsations of my heart.
When within ten feet of the brink,
controlled myself sufficiently, despite nv
excitement. to move forward with the ex-
tremest caution. What expected to see
or to do, cannot tell, but it would have
been impossible for me to have resisted
approaching the spot where Miss Berwick
fell into Etna'S depths. NV foot stirred
the light dust in which was standing, as
| was about looking down. and current
of air from the crater sent the minute par
ticles OF lava up into my eyes. Throwing
up my hands to brush it away, lost my
balance and fell forward = and then
downward,
lhere was momentry sense of swift
falling, and then sharp pain through my
! head which blOtted out everything.
the sound of Miss Berwick's voice
caused me to open my eyes. she, her
father. Lieutenant Jones and the guides
were bending over me- all more or less
excited. excepting Miss Berwick, who, as
usual, was as cool as cucumber.
81 knew he was not dead, she cried, in
tones more triumphant than joyful.
GLOW did you enjoy your tumble ?" she
asked, seemingly amused at my bewilder-
ment.
Tell me, have we escaped o. said
She laughed.
Both easily and naturally. In the first
place, the rope | tied about me had been
broken and spiced- the latter 10 the true
Italian way, which means that it was only
thrown together. At the first strain it
parted, and went rolling unceremohious-
ly, end over end, down along rough.
Siding mass of lava until fetched up
against a sort of shelf which alone pre-
vented my going down where old Empe-
docles is said to have gone. In a few Sec
onds you came down the same way. and
your mad career was arrested in the same
tashlon-only you got knocked senseless
| climbed back up to the edge of the rim,
and then the men came and helped us out.
/ Nothing at all remarkable about it, you
see
Four years afterward Miss Berwick was
married. The next time | saw - men
ton OF the name, it was in the lst of the
Europeans who were murdered at khar-
toum with General Gordon two winters
ago. ". !. Star.
n, .f1