The sea coast echo. [volume] (Bay Saint Louis, Miss.) 1892-current, 1892-01-30


to the roofs edge and thence down TO
the street, from where they stood in a
group watching with frightened faces
the four of us who remained.
Getting up to the top of the shaly
single plank scaffolding at the steeple's
base was an easy matter, and when
we got there we waved our hats and
gayly shouted to our comrades below
and laughed at their replies for us to
come down.
While doing that a piece of board
knocked off by our feet fell to the
roof, and, sliding fast and faster to
the edge, bounded off and struck the
pavement with such force that it splin-
tered.
This caused two more of my COM
panions to weaken, and without say
ing word they, after slipping once or
twice in their anxiety to reach solid
ground, managed to climb down and
join the group on the street, which had
been increased by passing people stop
ping to watch our proceedings.
Filled with the foolish bravado OF
showing off to the audience below, l
led the ascent up the steeple.
The Stats, nailed there for men to
climb on, were pretty far apart for lit
tie boys legs, and we, too, soon found
the task not so easy as it looked But
impelled by the desire for admiration
and thinking what hero would be
when the feat was accomplished kept
on and upward until, after the hardest
of efforts, found myself on the top.
most slat just underneath the sloping
outward ball.
There l clung to rest and see how far
my companion had got.
To my surprise he, too, had shown
the white feather and left me, and
saw him just disappearing over the
the roofs edge.
Instead of his desertion making me
frightened it served to rouse my de
termination to go still higher, and
without looking down again, for it was
setting me dizzy, / started to surmount
the ball and reach the cross above it.
Climbing inside the rounding ladder,
then crawling between the Stats and
climbing outside, but never looking
down while did it, pulled myself up
slowly and with much difficulty until,
to my delight, l sat on the great ball
with my little legs on either side of the
huge cross, clinging TO it tightly with
one arm and waving my hat with the
ether to the spell-bound crowd in the
street below-looking no bigger thar
ants.
For some minutes enjoyed my tri
umph, and gazed around at the mag
nifcent view without thought Of
danger
To show off little more fired my
cap at my startled audience, and
watched it, borne on the wind, descend
till it struck the ground.
Then thought it was time for me te
follow.
Clutching the ladder Stats l com
| menced, but getting to the edge of the
ball, discovered the well-known fac
that it is great deal easier to climb ny
than to get down. Twas utterly stuck
| made several attempts to get under OF
over, but l didn't know how or where
to place my feet Each time l felt fol
a resting spot l found none to stant
on, and after several hair-breadth es
capes from slipping and falling, which
brought a cold sweat all over me, hat
to give up and crawl back to my seat
and there, twisting my legs and arm.
around the cross, hung on.
I then fully realized my awful peri
and became terribly frightened.
! felt weak and sick. My head begar
to swim and grow SO dizzy that thing,
turned black to my eyes. heard from