New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-05-15

iitoS pii niece Of wax candle fixed that on
,I, other side Of the we'll by letting d niue OIL
tLe wax drip on the stout rail. ,
10 iaf droye back horri6ie suggestions set
my teeth and threw OIL tie ulster ! Wort, 10 S''"'
ready IL an old football Jersey ana drawers. ,s,
had thought ont NY plans TO the siua ~,
minutae and made all my ealcnlauoHs' ~ o,, NV
feeling that my only chance Tor CARVING gu, i,b
task successfully wa ny eolhe s,f91ht oi htronrht
ont hesitation ! raised the load nau "iJ -
one bv one--a couple OF ifIy-siN pound "cEi,'sI
ana after seeing that the stop was Ill inc WIN WIN
njuccd them ready in one Of the blcketS VIII
| lad drawn ND level with the rail- Then ias'ei-
mo a string 20 the lantern. l. lowered II .~I
Nh it was about five feet from tho waIc.' ~ dr.t
tie string. and 'aklnF ont the SOP, r1 lizard il
- rho wafer with a hollow cchone splash.
a, the sound arose | thrust the STOP lhto i .nc
cos Of tie wrfn o oHcc .or m0 Fs in the water
Inc ncNt task WAS pcrilouS, but nothing 4
felt to what 10 come as nou'''nS si ,
nil and climbing out on the apparatus, i,i,ci
one rope, reached out, caught the otneI, tn
my loo round hang for moment over 3r
Shaft, which looked, If anythinS NOR .o np' aIc
iro.i The dim light below, and leu niSecii ei''
II %as tie task of very few moments, 6ui
lorC enough for me TO be- attacked ny ,h1usnt'
.ucn as-Suppo>c the rope brOkc-suppo,c VIC d..
was foul .own bcow->upposc c"tiu c m"S -,
back - tie surface-answcrs TO when CAM d,
once for ! knew that tie rope wouin oo" at
doublc mv weight that the lantern Woulu 10,
have burned IA foul air and thaV as 10 ielurIlll9
had but 10 stand in the bucket when | reached
it. and Draw myself up BY hauiInf the GtnST f}Ri
the stop The thought unncrved me ior inc
moment, and then laughed, as | lecaiisd , noW
often ! had climbed rope lHcn i WAS rev" ,t
with the swinging lantern. my fet touched tnV
water close by the purity submerged lower Wlcel,
and checked myself to ieel hpout anu Ii,'' 10
had anticipated, broad rcstlng-pacc, ust pcl'"
the surface composed Of slippery crosrDca1ls
Herr | stoppcd for n few moments thinking
not hcsltatns-as to which side should descend.
And now. in spite of the logged courage WITHIN
ne | felt in full force the terrible risk was
about to run IL was thing 10 plunge down
into the OPEN sen in broad daylieht, holding one
Of those bouldcrs. another 10 take htty-sN
uounJ weight from that bucket c.O-r by me, plant
IL bv ne on the beam. thrust my loot through
the ring right up to my nsieP ana tncn lower I,Cp
myself off and let that wei1ht drag me DOWN
into thoec horrible cold, black depths. 49,,
| shud,lcred with the shock Of dread which
ran through ne. and then swapping my teeti
toecthcr Ike an angry dog ! uttered low hugn.
which started me again, a. III my desperate III
| said
Bah what a poor soldier should have made
Common workncn 90 through such RISKS every
day "a n matter of course. The Jewels Or
| did not finish my sentence. but bent down as
| he'd on by the rope, and took one OF thc
weights out OF the bucket close rs me; the
water washing about and wishing against the
shiny walls ~ if IT. were SW1Imlng WIN Nv"
creaturc- dsturlcl bv my coming, and ascending
rapidly IRON the depths to attack the INTRUDER
"' Nv foot foot gdcd along over the oaken beam
which stood hut | held on by the rope ana
recovered myself. planted the WEIGHT down IN the
water by my feet. and holding mp the ring thrust
nv riqht foot through close mp - the lnstrp.
That will DO, ! hoqsht, as ! r raE',i,. ny
could not slip oh TIL | lowcrcl the fore part
of my foot. Now. lad. no silly hncier.
muitcrcd. a few l,ng brcaths then one deep
Inhalation: down you 20 Tapi lly; then feel about
for a minute and half ind the package slip
your foot ont oi the rug-no you VIII lie hold
lug il thcn-kccp your hands over your head
IN clse YOU come mp under the beam, and then
huiTh for tomorrow. .
II wa, "A childish way of addressing myself,
perhaps but ] felt bound 10 treat the matter
liehtly 30 as e. cloak the peril from my too
active brain.
Ready ?T I said. as kept on breathing slowly
and deeply. preparatory 70 taking the long, deep,
lasting breath.
Yes. said. mentally, and changing my hold
10 the other rope. ] was about 10 lower myself
into n sitting position on the beam, drawing that
deep breath tie rhilc. whom like lightning came
the thought: Suppose II il your last for a
thrill shot down MY LETT right 10 my heart and
| sprang back - NY erect position wondering
as the thrill went on.
Were my muscles quivering like that? No; il
was the rope which | held In my hand. literally
a aIFSS""T ne. dimiy visible BY the lsh,
of the candle 4 had left burning,
could see something dark reaching out from the
woodwork e. the rope The throbbing went on
violently. and before | could grasp what it meant,
the rop. gave way in my hand, there was n
peculiar rushing in the water, / lost my balance,
iny foot I'm the iron ring felt If snatchcd of
The sppery beam and | was rushing down through
tie black water rapidly toward 81" bottom.