Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1892-10-29
MAN IN THE BELL.

an Of =-- imam IL Is now. Some nifty
n,rs ago about twenty of us who dwelt
The vicinity of the cathedral formed a
No which used to ring every peal that
rs called for.
One Sunday | went with another into
a, belfry to ring for noon prayers. but
i second stroke we had pulled showed
that the clapper of the bell we were
was mufiled. Some one had been
rred that morning and it had. been
~gared of course to ring mournful
We
Ne did not know of this, but the rem
!, was easy. Jack" said my COM
aaOn, step up to the loft and cut off
4, hat, for the way we had of muf-
ssg was by tying piece of an old hat
dcloth (the former was preferred) on
!, side of the clspper, which deadened
ery second toll
complied, and mounting into the
nv crept as usual into the bell,
tge | began to cut away. The hat
n been tied on in some more compli-
I'D manner than usual, and was per-
Is three or four minutes in getting il
during which time my companion
low was hastily called away-by a
sage from his sweetheart, | believe.
that is not material to my story.
he person who called him was a
r,her Of the club who, knowing that
time had come for ringing for serv-
and not thinking that any one was
bore, began to pull, At this moment
VS. just getting out when felt the
AnOying guessed the reason at
na It was a moment of terror, but
gIasty and almost conyulsive effort
rreeded in jumping down and throw
myself on the fiat Of my back under
bell
be room in which it was was little
he than sufficient to contain it, the
rom of the bell coming within
E .ps Of feet Of the floor of Hath. At
j time certainly was not so bulky
am now, but as lay it was within
,ch Of my face. had not lain my
down second, when the ringing
IN. II was dreadful situation.
Nsr me swung an immense mass of
lz one touch of which would have
=sd me to pieces; the floor under
pms principally composed of crazy
S and If they gave way was pre-
rsted To the distance of about fifty
upon loft, which would in all
ability have sunk under the impulse
by fall and sent me to be dashed to
rs upon the marble floor of the chan
hundred,fee below.
hs was my first terror, but the ring
bad not continued minute before q
nIwful and immediate dread came
H The deafening sound Of the
FAnate into my ears with thunder
'aa made me fear their drums would
pa there was not fiber of my body
% not thrill through. II entered my
p soul; thought aud reflection were
rsl utterly banished; | only retained
snsation of agonizing terror.
Fsy moment | saw the bell sweep
an an inch of my face, and my eyes
DOld not close them, though to look
N object was bitter as death-fol-
Htil instinctively in its oscillating
geS until 1t came back again. II
n vain | said to myself that it
p come no nearer at any future
Y than it did at first; every time it
Saded ! endeavored to shrink into
Very floor to avoid being buried I'M
De down sweeping mass, and then,
egang on the danger Of pressing too
sanly on my frail support, would
'aup again as far as | dared.
hrst my fears were mere matter Of
| was afraid the pulleys above
" give way and let the bell plunge
q At another time the possibility
as clapper being shot out in some
and dashing through my body, as
p seen a ramrod glide through a
ttted across my mind. The dread
as have already mentioned, of the
door tormented me, but these soon
way to fears not more unfounded,
loye visionary and of course more
s1ious.
roaring of the bell confused my
vet, and my fancy soon began to
WITH all sorts of strange and terri
IDEAS. The bell pealing above and
ag Its jaws with a hideous clamor
II 0to me at one time raving mon
"5ag 10 devour me; at another
vi tV'i ready to suck me into its bel
saOyss As | gazed on it, it as.
all shapes II was a flying eagle,
''ler roc Of the Arabian story
AcIapping its wings and screaming
he
looked upward intoit, it would APP
Nneumes to lengthen into indef-
4'ent or to be twisted at the end
E spiral folds of the tail Of a flying
Nor was the flaming breath or
sance Of that tabled animal want
complete the picture. Ny eyes,
- Ol0odshot and glaring, invested
-pposed monster with a full pro-
Of unhcly light.
il 'Ould be endless were to merely
"Sl The fancies that possessed my
N Every object that was hideous
~'nns presented itself to my i'm
~ On' often thought that | was
1Tncane at sea and that the vessel
/. Iyn was embarked tossed under
a "n the most furious vehemence.
MI \ SET in motion by the swinging