Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1891-01-24

horse. Captain LOnsdale and | followed
and Yarkan brought up the rear.
Imagine if you can our terrible situa-
ton The ledge was barely two feet
wide-at some places even less than that
Overhead was steep wall of rock, tow
ering above us for many hundreds of
feet, and beneath was a chasm so dread
/ full that we dared not trust ourselves to
| glance downward. We could hear, as
though miles away, the brawling of a
mountain torrent.
Suddenly shot was fred in the rear
and Yarkan's horse toppled over the
brink with q bullet in his flank. We
could hear the poor creature striking
rock after rock; then all was quiet.
An angle in the path hid us for the
| moment from our pursuers, who seemed
10 be coming close behind.
Presently we reached a section of the
ledge which actually sloped little to-
/ ward the brink-a place to test the
nerves of the bravest man living. Be-
yond was safety, for the ledge became
suddenly wider
All Murghur passed over all right, SO
! likewise did Fraser and Lonsdale.
l was half way across when my horse
I slipped and fell over the brink with neigh
of terror. The bride, gliding through
/ my hand, caused me to lose my own foot
ing, and with feelings that it is useless to
hope to describe | rolled OF the ledge,
clutehing at the empty air.
( A severe shock followed an instant
later, and l dimly realized that l had
/ struck some obstruction.
"Would it hold2' was my agonizing
/ thought, and in a second or two my
doubts were relieved. [ had straddled
spur Of rock shaped like the pinnacle Of
a b!acksmith's anvil, which projected
from the cliff.
It's base presented a jagged surface,
aud to this | chung with might and main.
The ledge was only a dozen feet above
me, and as | glanced eagerly up, expect
ing to see my friends bending over the
brink, heard a crashing sound, followed
by unmistakable cries Of fright. Tnen in
quick succession a dozen or more huge
stones rolled over into the chasm from
point few yards to my left. The brink
Df the ledge prevented me from seeing
the top of the mountain wall that rose
hundreds Of feet beyond, but ! readily
OWNED what had happened. The enemy
had reached this point by a cireuieous
route and were hurting stones down on
my companions.
What injury had been inflicted I could
not tell, but soon all became perfectly
quiet Believing me to be beyond all
hope my friends had hurried on, intent
on their own safety.
| could not blame them, Of course.
How could they dream for an instant that
I had escaped a terrible death? Then the
horror of the situation flashed upon me.
and l nearly fell from my perch with
dizziness
a triumphant shout caused me to
glance quickly upward, and saw the
Satanic face Of Ashghur Singh peering
down at me from the brink Of the ledge
"Ihe English captain will never re
turn to Peshawur, he said vindictively
The Vultures VIII pick his bones
Inen the tlend slowly pointed gun
barrel over the ledge. Il don't
intend to XII you, he said slowly
''Ihat would be too easy death. will
shoot you IN the arms, and you will be
Obliged to let go and fall.
tired to erE out, but my tongue
seemed to suck to the ROOT OF my mouth
and then heard the sharp click OF the
weapon Here my pen ialIs me- l cant
describe the agony OIL that moment.
After vague fashion. as one sees in a
dream, l saw gun stock strike Ashghui
Singh full on tue crown OF the head.
saw nm dragged back from the brink by
an myisioie hana, and then the honest
!aee Oh my servant 1arAan peered down
into mihe'
was now as ding from JOY as had
been from terror a few seconds before,
but l managed with great effort to
cling to the rock, cheercd by Yarkan's
inspiriting words.
The faithful Tibetan tore of his sheep
skin tunic, cut it into strips with a sharp
knife, knotted it skiilfully into a long
rope, and then dropped the noosed end
over my head clinglng first with one
hand, then with the other, l succeeded
IN getting 1t under my arms, and with
Yam tons aid | was soon standing up
rgi on the rockJ spur. The rest was
MOI formidable, but by means Of the
creTices aud rough places in the face OF
the chm was drawn safely to the top Of
the ledge
lor ten minutes-l was as weak as an
iui' ut. Yarkah took advantage of this
mt wal to bind and gag Ashghur Singh,
anG when the mutineer recovered his
sens s, only to find himself captive, his
rage *as terrible to see.
lis must have walked out on the ledge
himself, for none of MS companions made
their ppeerance.
1a San 5 presence was soon explained.
Wheu1 slipped over the cliff, he had
hurried on ahead, not thinking it pos
sible that | had escaped instant death.