The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1889-06-15

it would be impossible for him to climb upor
the cot without rousing the rajah, and i'm
possible, even though the rajah were dead
A man without arms or legs could descend by
falling; he never could ascend by climbing
Amazed at the mans daring, and fully con.
vinced that his suferings and troubles and
brooding had destroyed his reason, watched
him with breathless, absorbing interests.
He caught the longer rope in his teeth at a
point not far from the rail. Then, wriggling
with great effort to an upright position, his
back braced against the rail- he put his chin
over the swing and worked toward one end.
He lightened the grasp of his chin upon the
swing, and, with tremendous exertion, work
ing the lower end Of his spine against the
railing, he began gradually to ascend. The
labor was so great that he was compelled to
pause at intervals, and his breathing was
hard and painful, and even while thus resting
he was in position of terrible strain, and
his pushing against the swing caused it to
press hard against his windpipe and nearly
suffocate him.
After amazing effort he elevated the lower
end Of his body until it pretruded above the
railing, the top of which was now across the
lower end of his abdomen Gradually he
worked his body over, going backward. until
there was sufficient excess of weight on the
other side, and then with q quick lureh he
raised his head and shoulders and swung into
a horizontal position. Of course he would
have fallen to the floor below had it not been
for the rope which he held in mis- teeth With
such nicely had he calculated the distance
between his mouth and the point of fasten-
ing, that the rope tightened and checked him
just as he reached the horizontal position on
the rail- If one had told me beforehand that
such feat as this man had accomplished was
possible, l would have thought him fool
Neranya was now balanced on his stomach
across the top of the railing, and he eased his
position somewhat by bending his spine and
hanging down as much as possible. Having
rested in this position for some minutes, he
began cautiously to slide of, slowly paying
out the rope through his teeth. Now, it is
quite evident that the rope would have es-
capped from his teeth lateraly when he slightly
relaxed his hold to let it slip, had it not been
for very ingenious device TO which he had
resorted. This consisted in his having made
a turn Of the rope around his neck before he
attacked the swing, thus securing threshold
control of the rope-one by his teeth, another
by friction against his neck, and a third by
his ability to compress 1t between his cheek
and shoulder.
A stupendous and seemingly impossible
part of his task was accomplished. Could he
reach the floor IN safety? Gradually he
worked himself backward over the rail. in
momentary imminent danger Of falling; but
his nerve never quivered, and | could see a
wonderful glitter in his eyes. With some
thing of lurch, his body fell against the
outer side Of the railing, and be was hanging
by his chin. Slowly be worked his chin away,
and then hung suspended by the rope, his
neck bearing the weight of his trunk. BY
almost impereeptible degrees, with Infinite
caution, he descended the rope, and finally
his unwieldly body rolled upon the floor, safe
and nnhurt.
What next2 Was this some superhuman
monster who had accomplished this impossible
miracle? Would he Immediately spring TO
invisible feet, run to the rajah's bedside, and
stab him with an invisible dagger held in an
invisible hand? No, was too philosophic
for such mad thoughts; there was plenty Of
time for interference. | was quick and
strong ] would wait awhile and see what
other impossible things this monster could do.
Imagine my astouishment when, instead Of
approaching the sleeping rajah, Neranya took
another direction. Then il was only escape
after all that the miserable wretch contem.
plated, and not the murder of the raiah But
how could he escape9 The only possible
way to reach the outer air was by ascending
the stairs to the balcony and leaving by the
corridor which opened upon it, and surely It
was impossible for Neranya to ascend that
long fight of stairs.
Nevertheless he made for the stairs. He
progressed by lying on his back with his face
toward the point of destination, bowling his
spine upward, and thus causing his head and
shoulders TO slip nearly an inch forward,
Strengthening his spine and pushing forward
the lower end of his back distance equal to
that which his head had advanced, each time
pressing his head to the floor to keep it from
slipping. His progress was slow, painful and
laborious, as the floor was slippery, rendering
difficult the task of taking firm hold with
his head. Finally he arrived at the foot of
the stairs.
1t was at once manifestthat his purpose was
to ascend them. Desire for freedom must
have been strong within him. Wriggling to
an upright position against the newell post,
he looked up at the great height which he had
to climb, and sighed; but there was no dim
ming of the bright light in the eyes. How
could he accomplish the impossible task before
him?
His solution of the problem was very simple.
While leaning against the newell post he fell
in diagonal position, and lay safe upon the
bottom step on his side. Turning upon his
back, he wriggled forward along the step the
necessary few inches to reach the rail, scram-
bling to an upright but inverted position
against the rail, and then fell and landed
safely on the second step. This explains the
manner in which, with ineonceivable labor,
he accomplished the ascent of the entire fight
OF stairs.
1t being evident that the rajah was not the
object of Neranya's S movements, the anxiety
which had felt on that account was entirely
dispelled, and | watched Neranya now only
with a sense of absorbing interest and euFios-
ity. The things which he had accomplished
were entirely beyond the widest imagination,
and in a sense, | was in condition of help
less wonder. The sympathy which / had
always felt for the unhappy man was now
greatly uuiekened; and as small as | knew
the chances of his ultimate escape to be,
nevertheless hoped that he would succeed.
There was bare chance that he would fall
into the hands of the British soldiery, not far
away, and | inwardly prayed for his success.
ANY assistance from me, however, was out OF
the question; nor should it ever be known
that | had witnessed his escape.
Neranya was now upon the balcony, and |
could dimly see him wrigging along as he
slowly approached the door. The rail was
low, and | could barely see beyond it. FL
nally, he stopped and wriggled to an upright
position. His back was toward the hall, but
he slowly turned around and faced me. At
that great distance | could not distinguish his
features, but the slowaess with which he
worked, even before he had fully accom-
plished the ascent of the stairs, was evidence
all too eloquent Of his extreme exhaustion.
Nothing but most desperate resolution could
have sustained him thus far, but he had about
drawn upon the last remnant of his strength.
He looked around the hall with a sweeping
glance, and then upon the rajah, who was
| soundly sleeping Immediately beneath him,
| over twenty feet down. He looked long and
earnestly, sinking lower and lower and lower
upon the rail. Suddenly, to my inconeeivablt
astonishment and dismay, he toppled over
and shot downward from his lofty height.
held my breath, expecting to see him crushed
into bloody mass on the stones beneath, bu
instead of that he fell full upon the rajah''
breast, crushing through the cot and hurting
him to the floor. | sprang forward with
cry for help, and was instantly at the scene o
the disaster. Imagine my indescribabl
horror when l found that Neranya's teetl