San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-04-15

callell ilb 10 llll SELL Oltlle'l bJ NuaO
had shut in sheer giddin sss. Close on my left
the ledge was broke back TO the ve+y base,
cutting me Off by twelve feet from that part
where the ladder still rested No man could
Jump it, standing. To the right there was no
gap; but in one place only was the footing
over ten inches wide, and at the end my rope
hung over the sea, good yard away from
the edge.
shut my eyes and shouted.
There was no answer. In the dead stiffness
| could hear the rafteTs falling III the House
of Gleys and the shouts of the men at work
The Godsend lay around the point, out of
sight And Billy deaf as stone, sat- no
doubt, 10y his rope, placidly waiting my signal
screamed again and again. The rock
tlunE my voice seward. Across the summit,
vaultrd above, there drfted puff Of brown
smoke No one heard
\ while Of weakness followed. My brain
rceled; my fingers dug into the rock behind
till they bled. | bent fOrward-fOrward over
the heavng mist, through which the sea
Crawled like Il snake 1t beckOned me down,
that crawling water.
| sttTcned my knees, and the faintness
passed. ! must not look down again 1t
flashed on me that Della had called me weak,
and | hardened my heart TO fight it out.
would face round to the cliff and work to-
wards the rope
All the way | kept shouting and so, for
half an hour, inch 10y inch, shuttlrd forward
until | stood under the rope. Then had to
turn again
The rock. though still overarching, here
pressed ont less than before, 50 that, working
round ON the bail Of my foot, | managed
pretty easily. But how to get the ropei As
| s;lid It hung a good yard beyond the ledge,
the uooSo dangling some two feet below it.
With my finger tips against the cliff, leaned
ont and ClutCh,I at 1t. | missed it 10y foot.
"Shall juup| thought |, "or hide here till
help comes,
iva, ylddy, awful leap But the black
horror was nj my heels now. In a minute
NOR" 'twouii have me. and then my fall was
certain. | called up elias face as she had
tainted me-. | bent my knees, and, leaving
my hold Of the rock, sprang torward-out,
over the SEA. =
saw it twinkle. fathoms below My right
hand acknowledgement the rope; then my
left, aN swung far ont upon it. slipped an
inCh-thrce inch,'a-then held swaymg Wild
w. My foot was in the moose. | heard
shout above, and, rs | dropped to sitting
posture, the rope began to rise.
"Quick! Oh, Billy, pull quick"
He could not hear, vet tugged like a Trojan.
"Now, here's a time to keep a man sittin'w
he shouted. rs he caught my hand and pulled
! me full length on the turf. Why, lad-hast
seen a ghus1'
There wis no answer. The black horror
| had over aiken me at last.
They carried me to a shed in the great
court of GlevS. and set me on straw; and
| there, till far into the afternoon, lay be-
twiXt swooming and trembling, while Della
| bathed my head i'll water from the sea, for no
| other was t. he had And about in the
| afternoon thr horror left M" so that | sat up
| and told my story pretty steadily.
"What of the hOuse! | asked, when the
| tale was done. and n company sent to search
! the east rhI from the beach.
"AIl perishrd,' said Della, and then, smil-
| inE, II am nDu>ee., rs ever, Jack.
al lr.lgr. has nod frln
"Thats true But liStcn-for while you
have lain here, Billy and have put our heads
! together H. Is bound for Brest, h" says,
| and has agreed to take me and such poor
| ChHttca 10 are saved t. brittany, where |
| know my mothers Kim will lave Il welcome
| for me, until these troubles be passed AL
! ready the half Of my goods is aboard the
| GOdsend, and letter writ to Sir Bevill,
| begging him to appoint an honest man as my
steward. What think you of the plan"
1T seems good plan" | answered slowly;
| "the England that now is, Is no place for a
woman. When do you sail.'
| AS soon as YOU are recovered, Jack"
Then that's now" got on my feet and
| drew on my boots that Matt. SoameS had
found in the laurel bushes and brought. My
| knees trembled bit, but nothing to matter.
| Art looking downCast, Jack"
| Said |, How else should | look, that am to
| lose thee i'll an hour or mOre?'
| She made no reply to this, but turned away
! to rive an order to the sailors.
| The last OF Drlas furniture was hardly
| aboard. when we heard great shouts of Joy,
| and the men returning that had gone to
search the cliff They bore between them
| three large oak Golfers, which, being broke
! we came On an immense deal OF Old plate and
| Jewels, besides over 200 in coined money
! There were. two more left behind, they said
| besides several small bags of gold. The path
| up the cliff was hard to climb, and would have
| been uDOSSllIp but for he ladder thew
| found ready fixed for Master TngcombS de-
scent. In the hole that could not I've seen
! from the beach the shelf hiding il was tackle
| for lowering the chest; and below boat
| mOOred, and now left high and dry 10y the
| tide. Doubtless, the arch rascal had waited
! for his comrades to return, whom Matt
| SoamrS and had scared our ui all stomach
| to do So His body was nOwl, e found The
| sea had washed it off; but IT, lck they re-
CovercI and found to hold the choicest Of
| DelaS heir looms. Within an hour the re-
| naming Golfers and the money bags were safe
| in the vessel ) hold.
The sun was setting as Della ana stood on
the beach beside the boat that was to take
| her from me. Aboard the GodSend could
| hear the anchor lifting, and the men singing,
| as, holding Molly's bride, held out my hand
to the dear maid who with me had shared so
! many peril
is there any more To Gomez she asked
"No,' said /, and God knows my heart was
heavy; "uothug to come but FAREWELL"
She laid her small hand in my big palm,
end, Glanclns up, said very pretty and de-
| mure:
And shall leave my Gest: Wilt not
| come, too, dear JaCkF'
"Della!h | Stammered. What Is thiSl l
thought you loved mo not"
And So did |, Jack; and, thinking so,
| found loved thee better than ever. Fie on