Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1893-04-07
A MAN IN THE BELL.

In my younger days bell ringing was
much more in fashion among the young
men Of - than it is now. Some fifty
years ago about twenty Of us who dwcit
in the vicinity Of the cathedral formeda
club which used to ring every peal that
was called for.
One Sunday / went with another into
the belfry to ring for noon prayers, but
the second stroke we had pulled showed
us that the clapper Of the bell we were
at was mufled. Some one had been
buried that morning and it had been
prepared Of course to ring a mournful
note.
We did not know Of this, but the rem
edy was easy. ''Jaclr," said my COM
panion, "step up to the loft and cut off
the hat" for the way we had Of muf-
fling was by tying a piece Of an old hat
or Of cloth (the former was preferred) on
n side Of the clapper, which deadened
every second toll.
1 complied, and mounting into the
belfry crept as usual into the bell,
where 1 began to cut away. The hat
had been tied on in some moro compli-
Gated manner than usual, and l was per
haps three or four minutes in getting it
of, during which time my companion
below was hastily called away-by a
message from his sweetheart, l believe.
but that is not material to my story.
The person who called him was a
brother Of the club who, knowing that
the time had come for ringing for serv-
ice, aud not thinking that any one was
above, began to pull. AT this moment
was just getting out when 1 felt the
bell moving. / guessed the reason at
once. 1t was n moment of terror. but
by a hasty and almost convulsive effort
/ succeeded in jumping down and throw
ing myself on the fiat of my back under
the bell.
The o in which it was was littls
more than sufficient to contain it, the
bottom Of the bell coming within a
couple Of feet Of the floor of lath. At
that time l certainly was not so bulky
as | am now, but as / lay it was within
an inch Of my face. had not lain my
self down a second, when tho ringing
began. 1t was a dreadful situation.
Over me swung an immense mass Of
metal, one touch Of which would have
crushed me to pieces; the floor under
me was principally composed of crazy
laths, and if they gave way l was pre-
cipitated to the distance of about fifty
feet upon n loft, which would In all
probability have sunk under the impulse
Of my fall and sent me to be dashed to
atoms upon the marble floor Of the chan
eel n hundred feet below.
This was my first terror, but the ring
ing had not continued a minute before a
more awful and immediate dread came
on me. The deafening sound Of the
bell smote into my ears with a thunder
which made me fear their drums would
crack; there was not "a fiber Of my body
it did not thrill through. 1t entered my
very soul; thought and reflection were
almost utterly banished; 1 only retained
the sensation Of agonizing terror.
Every moment / saw the bell sweep
within an inch of my face, and my eyes
II could not close them, though to look
at the object was bitter rs death-fol-
lowed it ~iustinctively in its o|scillating
progress until it came back again. 1t
was in vain 1 said to myself that it
could come no nearer at any future
WINS AAn4 a. 4N4 a. AAaNf ENELI AAAA4t AZ
descended / e~ndeayored to shrink into
tho very floor to avoid being buried I'M
der the down sweeping mass, and then,
rejecting on the danger Of pressing too
weightily on my frail support, would
owe up again as FAR as ! dared.
At first my fears were mere matter Of
fact. l was afraid the pulleys above
would give way and let the bell plunge
on me. at another time the possibility
Of the clappor being shot out in some
sweep and dashing through my body, as
/ had seen a ramrod glide through a
door, fitted across my mind. The dread
also, as / have already mentioned, Of the
crazy floor tormented me, but these soon
gave way to fears not more u~nfounded.
but more visionary and Of course more
tremendous.
The roaring Of the bell confused my
intellect, and my fancy soon began to
TEEN with all sorts of strange and torri-
flying ideas. The bell pealing above and
opening its jaws with a hideous clamor
seemed to me at one time q raving mon
ster raging TO devour me; at another q
whirlpool ready to suck me into its bel
lowing abyss. AS 1 gazed on it, it as
sumed all shapes. 1t was a flying eagle,
or rather a roc Of the Arabian story
t%ellers, clapping its wings and screaming
over me. o.
As looked upward intoit, it would ap,
pear sometimes 20 lengthen into indeh-
mite extent or 10 be twisted at the end
into the spiral folds of the tail Of a flying
dragon. Nor was the flaming breath or
fiery glance Of that tabled animal want
ing 10 complete the picture. My eyes,
infamed, bloodshotand glaring. invested
the supposed monster with a full pro
portion Of unholy light.
1t would be endless wero I 20 merely
hint at all the fancies that possessed my
mind. Every object that was hideous
and roaring presented itself to my inn
agination. 1 often thought that 1 was
in a hurricane at sea aul that the vessel
in which 1 was embarked tossed under
me with the most furious yehomence.
The air, set in motion by the swinging
Of the bqll, blew over me nearly with
tho violence and more than the thunder
of a tempest, and $40 noor seemed TO
rnal UtfTos ana ma uuIru B.. fruufau man