The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1886-11-05

OuCc IDOhluS oOWhS uhSii H. JSo NoS
finished an was putting up my tools.
Then, all of a sudden, l heard rat
tling noise, an looking over l see the
plank going down very fast. l called
out: "Hullo, there! send that up again,
will youp'' but the only answer l got
was loud laugh, for. all the world like
silly Jerry, the naturaFs, and sure
enough there he was, standing by the
windIass, jumping an clapping his
hands. I looked about for the man
whose business it was to manage the
windlass, but not q sign Of him was
there, an in minute heard the rat
tie of the pulley again, and saw that
the rope was running through it in the
wrong direction. Imade a grab for it,
but twas jerked out of my hand, an
before could catch it again the end
had slipped through, and there I was
more than hundred feet from the
ground, not knowing how in the world
I was to get down. an Jerry dancing
and capering below, calling out:
Come down and thrash me now, Mr..
Forde, won't youp" Then l remem-
bered that l few days before l had
found this boy annoying Katie, an had
given him cut with switch had in
my hand. He had slunk away without
a word at the time, but it seems he had
remembered the blow and took this way
of being revenged.
Well, at first was scarcely frighten-
ed, expecting somehow that, once the
people below knew the; fix I was in,
they'd find some way or other
of getting me out of it. But when
Al l. -
l hit On myself, an sure l knew more
about chimneys than anyone else in the
place. Twas getting late, too; there
wouldn't be much more than another
half-hour of daylight, an the wind was
risng-I could hear it whistling through
the trees. By this time the people
knew what had happened and a crowd
| was collecting; could see them coming
from all parts, for of course l had a
view all about. saw a boy 20 up to
the door of the counting house, an
presently Master Phillip came out, run
ming as If for life. When he came up
he took the command like, an began
giving directions; an the people who
had only stared at first, now ran here
an there as he sent them. First they
brought out long ladder an fixed it
on the roof below the chimney. /
could have told them that twas too
short, knowing as did the length Of
every ladder in the place; but somehow,
though / heard their shouts plainly.
could not make them hear mine; il
seemed Us if the voices went up, like
smoke. Then there was great delay,
| while they went for a longer ladder;
and this, too, didn't reach half way. A
man climbed up, however, and called
out to know had a bit of string in my
pocket that could let down. Not q
| bit could | find. had a big ball only
the day before, but l h.Aa taken it oui
o; my pocket an put it on the shelf a
home l took off my braces an fasten
but they didn't near reach the top o
the ladder, so that plan had to be giver
up.
At this time the wind was rising, an
was getting numb with the cold an
stiff an cramped from being SO long il
the one position. There was bi.
clock right over the gateway just oppo
site, an saw that it only wanted
twenty minutes to five; it would b
nearly dark at 5, an once the darkness
set in what little hope l had would b.
gone.
Master Philip seemed to have gon
away by this time, but there was IN,
/ father among the crowd; an VIII
should see standing next to him an
holding on by his arm but Katie! The
had forgotten everything but the frigh
, about me. an he seemed to be talkin' t
t her an comforting her. After a bit
| saw Master Philip again; he had
big thing in his hand looking lik
l pocket handkerchiefs stretched over
8 frame, an l saw that it was kite, al
} that they meant to send string up
f me in that way. But you never in a
E your life saw such an unmanageble kite
: First twas too heavy and then twas to
a light, and then the time they seemed I
> lose making tail to steady it. Ihear
K after that part of that same tail we
Y made of bank notes Master Philip too
a out of his pocket when he could e,
e nothing else quick enough, He g
0 them back later, for not man, woma
!, or child in the place would have toucl
It cd one of them when they saw hi
using them in that way.
l. When the kite did 90 up at last Il
o wind was SO high that they could n
n manage it properly. 1t came vel
IL near me once, an made snatch
i the string, nearly overrcaching NJ
g self in doing so, but l missed it, al
I just then there came terrible gust
IS wind, the string broke, an the ki
1T was carried away, an stuck fast
" the branches of a big tree behind t
t masters house. looked over at Il
e clock to see how much time was Il
lp me an l found l could not sec t
le hands any longer; the darkness h
n come on in the last few minute
st Then gave up all hope, for knew
a never could hold on till morning.
I'd tried to think of death and to ma
% myself ready for it, but l couldn't
as not prayer nor a good word coult
re call to mind, only going over an oy
in again in my head the way it wo,
at all happen-how the people would
lg away, one by one, how I'd be i
he alone in the darkness an the how'll
y, wind, an how at last I'd not be a
he to hold on any longer, an fall. and
e) found in the morning all crushed {
he of shape. The people below seem
~ to have given up all thought of he
III | my HOW, al WcIo bGduuluS 9u
ed quiet. Twas so dark by this ii
of that I could not distinguish |
g faces of all; could just make
be Master Philip in his dark suit ame
he the mill men, and poor Katie.
TX, was crouching down on the grou
he now, and her apron over her head
of a sudden saw her leap up will
cd great cry an clap her hands an I
ne out something. Then there was c
L fused sort of shout, as il every ono
;he the crowd was saying the same th
ith at the same time, an then Mas
.he Philip, making a sign to silence thu
The put his two hands up to his mouth