The Republican., 1892-08-05
A NIGHT OF HORROR.
Gray Hairs Sprouted as He Hung Over
Imaginary Precipice.

Imaginary Precipice.
did you ever fancy that you were at
the point of death and go through the
uttermost agonies of fear for consid-
erable time, only to find out afterward
that you hadn't been In any danger
whatever" asked the quiet man l was
riding with. We did not know each
other, but a long ride on railroad
makes strangers sociable.
said l never had.
II did once" said the quiet man.
And somehow | never could laugh at
the experience, although it was comical
in one way. 1t doesn't seem very funny
to me, though.
II was the sole executor of an estate
some years ago, and it became neces-
sary to get the signatures of all the
heirs to a certain paper. All signed
readily enough excepting one. He was
a Vermont farmer. He would not or
could not see that the proposed trans
action was straightforward, and he re-
turned the paper unsigned, so had to
go down and see him. | took the train
for Bellows Falls. and found there that
| had to drive nine miles to the farmers
house, over particularly lonely, noun
famous road.
1T took more than two hours to get
there, and | noticed with great appre-
heusion that the road looked dangerous
in places. The horse had was good
one, though, and learned long time
ago to trust good deal to horse. 1t
was dark when | reached the house,
and found the farmer crossgrained
and out OF temper, and l had several
hours struggle with him before got
his signature. In fact. it was longer
than either of us thought. and when we
had come to an agreement it was l
O'clock in the morning.
''He wanted me to sleep there, but /
refused, telling him I mnst catch the
o'clock express. He was amazed Ye
bent goin' to drive back tonight, be
ye? he exclaimed, but | said | must,
and he let me go with many cautions
about the bad road. There's one al
mighty nasty place about three miles
away, he said, and l felt pretty nervous
as remembered it. 1t was where the
road ran along the edge of a cliff forty
or fifty feet high.
However, borrowed lantern,
hitchei up, tied the lantern on the
axle-trees, and set out. 1t was one of
the darkest nights / ever saw and be-
fore had gone mile the light went
out | suppose the lantern had not
been filed.
Just as l thought must be at the
place which the farmer had mentioned
the forward wheel struck something
and was twisted so violently that the
axle snapped. felt myself falling with
the wagon, and involuntarily jumped
to get clear. | jumped too hard, and
instead of landing on the level on the
road, as | expected, | went fully FIVE
feet below it and, losing my footing,
rolled down steep bank for ten feet
more. The reins We're jerled from my
hand and the horse ran.
'As fell realized that had jumped
on the side toward the precipice, and |
scrambled like a cat in the effort to
catch hold of something, but it was so
dark l literally could not see my own
hand, and before l could get hold of
anything l felt myself going over the
| edge. As | went over. however, caught
something with my right hand, and
when | realized things l was swinging
in the air on that something.
''Of course | caught hold with both
| hands at once, and discovered that |
was holding on to sapling. 1t wasn't
easy work, for | had heavy overcoat
on, and am not a strong man, but
somehow or other / managed to pull
myself up until got one arm over the
sapling, and then stopped to think and
get breath.
in the dense darkness l could tell
nothing about what was under me, but
l felt sure | was dangling over forty
feet of clear space with Jagged rocks at
the bottom. Icould kick the face of the
rock over which | was hanging but
,ould not with my feet or knees, find
any projection whatever. 1t was irregu-
lar, but smooth.
| after haG almost exhausted myself
in trying decided that my only chance
was to hang as was till daybreak, and
then began some three hours of torture
that cannot describe. | had read of
people hanging in that way till they
were exhausted and then dropping off
without being hurt, but dared not try
it, though | was sorely tempted after 1
had grown cold and numb So | hung
| on.
Il got both arms over and put nv
| hands into my pockets for hold, and
| then began to calculate how long /
could hold on. 1t seemed thousand
years before it grew light enough to see
anything, and when it did found there
was no precipice within hundred feet
of me, but | was n, hit over solid ground.
! had no trouble at all in getting back
into the road, aud walked to Bellows
| Falls just in time to miss my train. -
| New York Advertiser.
| 4 Volcano at Sea.