The Osceola times., 1886-07-10

spled me out upon my beam, and beat
/ herceiy in upon me, till | thought in
that abundant glow that | should be-
come quite crisp and in1lammable.
closed my eyes and shut him out; but
presently new disquiet began to plague
me, for most impertinent and intxu-
sye knot in the timber bored into my
shoulder-blade, and wrung me with an
guish.
Still keeping my eyes closed against
the sunlight, | edged gingerly along
upon my back until found an easier
spot, and there | settled myself. de-
Dated for while upon the virtues of our
young Queen and the conduct of Sir
Robert, weighed the wears last sermon
on the Inhabitants of the ark and their
types, reprobated the SCOTS which Welt.
Carllst cohber aimed at it, wondered
why the taxes were so high, and wished
the Ministry at perdition, and so ar
rived ut very composed and benignant
frame Of mind. But thought they were
very long in ringing the bells at Tho
resby.
Whish! whish! whishl clangl clangil
clang!!! clangl!!! clangllll I Thought
1t was the day of Judgment or the day
after, opened my heavy eyes, and was
starting up when | sank back and
siliiened out like a corpse. There
saw IN the gloom great cavern of
darkness widen and swoop down over
me, and Great Bartlemy, our tenor bell.
brushed over my PROSTATE body, his
great clapper swinging like the tongue
between Behemoth's jaws, and as he
reached the end of his swing he clan, ed
out dizzy and appalling boom at my
very ears, A plague ON my carelesss
ness. Our bells are SO hung that when
not in use they are locked slightly atilt,
and do not depend to the lowest point
ot their sweep The stay on which
was resting they clear by but few
inches, and |, my eyes closed against
the sun, had edged further and further
out, not observing their position, till |
| lay just where the course of the tenor
| crossed the beam. There, lulled by the
heat and the hum, had fallen asleep,
and while | lay supine, the day had
waned and Thoresby bells had rung,
and the Queen had come and gone, and
The ringers had left the procession for
the belfry. unhitebed the bells and be-
| gun their peal.
! lt was the first swish of the bells
| sweeping through the air that woke me.
/ their first raucous clang that completed
| my awakening, and now there lay, a
/ prisoner, not daring to stir an inch,
/ timing my breath TO the beat Of the
bells lest fuller initiation of my chest
/ as BartlenfS passed over me should
/ bring me in contact with his lip, and |
be brushed from my beam like fly.
/ Peter and Paul, the next two bells,
/ hung on Bartlcmy's either hand and
/ shaved my stay even more closely. Ny
retreat was cut of; advance was impos-
| siblc; between them and the timber
4 there was clearly no room for passage.
! just where | lay the swinging bell
cleared me, and there till the ringing
was over and the bells once more
hitched up askew and wide of the beam,
! must needs remain.
But now the sun was Off the tower,
and through the louyres could see in
1 glimpses between the swaying bells the
glow Of the evening sky. Upon the
olive green wreath of golden vapor
hung light and feathery; the evening
star CLEANED jewel-like upon the fore
head Of the coming night The swift,
hardy and fearless of the uproar,
hawked the flies up and down, eutting 9
sharp arcs across the windows, and here
and there the devious. wayward flight Of
D l...t 1 a -. 4 ~ f,,I
was night breeze blowing sharply of
the moor, for the wind, churned by the
bells, dragged into fitful eddies in the
damp tower chamber as the sun-heated
walls cooled irregularly, blew wet upon
me in gusts perfect gale. Over my
head Bartlemy's huge mouth was per-
pctually opening and shutting, and he
swept aside only to disclose vista Of
neighbor giants cutting ineSorable
curves to right and left, barring all
escape and gathering momentum with
the minutes, till the tower swayed
bodily to right and left with every peal,
and my timber beam thrilled and quiv-
cred and huckled up and down like an
unruly race-horse. The tearing turbu-
lent wind snatched me on either side tu-
multuously, and the jarring and up
heaved dance of stone and timber In the
fabric threatened each instant TO hurl
mo like n pebble from sling into the
gloomy abyss below. To preserve my
self from this my most instant jeopardy,
and to escape the sick giddiness of ter
ror which the unchang;ng menace of
the swinging bells drove deep into my
heart, | gingerly. and with an eye over
my shoulder for Bartlemy the pursuing
fiend, turned over on my breast and
Rugged the beam with the grip Of my
knees and extended arms.
Hitherto in my more imminent trouble
| had not so much noticed the uproar
of the bells. True that the tenor roared
in his great voice not ten feet from my
ear, that the treble bells cried shrilly
overhead, and Peter and Paul bawied
and beloved sonorous harmony; the
arched roof and quivering walls reyer-
berated the sound and hurled it out over
my body through the louyres into the
night. The tower having neither floors
nor ioists to break the waves, vibrated
and redoubled the din like soundng-
board. Yet while each spring OF my
beam was lifting me inches toward the
descending bell and those awful circular
orlfces were d zzily swooping over me
like birds of prey, their mere din was
the least Of my troubles. But now the
ringers began to fire the bells, and the
voleys discharged over my head like a
million of anvils rafting to the sledge,
beat into my brain IKE fierce, re-
morseless tyranny. They began to ring
what at its third bell noted with pre-
scient and appalling plunge into the pit
| of desnair. a trinle QrAndsire major set