The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1893-12-05
Om family STORY,
A MIDAIR FIGHT.

~ aDDCdtCo III Va ANNpN'y
could possibly give n faithful account
of tho matter. andI have only recently
recovered from a nervous prostration
that followed the event. 1 writo this
account now, not because 1T gives me
any pleasure to do soon the contrary.
the task is u very unpleasant and pain
full one-but SO many untruthful YER
sions of the story have got abroad that
1 feel it due to myself to state plainly
what actually occurred.
1t was in August, and was taking
a pleasant walking tour in the south OF
England. During the second week l
had left Surrey behind me and was
wandering among the fields, the wooded
dells and the winding lanes Of West
Sussex.
1 carried with me a little guidebook
to the county, merely for the sake OF
the brief information it gave inc about
old churches and other points Of inter-
est. 1 employed no itinerary, but let
my route work itself out from day to
day without any prearranged plans
Yet the fact remains that but for that
little book my terrible adventure would
in all probability never have happened.
Breakfasting one morning at the lit
z tie. inn at B. l determined that my
days walk SHOULD be to P-s and
worked out my route on the map. l
noticed, however, that u little village
called W. lay about twoSmiles out
of my way, and turning up the place
in my guide l read, THE tourist should
not miss the church, which is early
English and exhibits some very inter-
N ~ ~ -~1
to alter my route Il little in order to in
clude tho village in my days progress.
A description Of tho place, it's charm
ing green and pretty cottages, is not
necessary to my story. The little church
stands upon a knoll and is n prominent
detail in the landscape for miles around.
Looking mp at its graceful spire, l at
once noticed that just beneath the
weathercock some slight scaffolding had
been erected, and that ropes depended
from it to the surface Of tho tower be-
meath. Some repairs wero evidently in
operation.
Are you repairing the spire2" |
asked Of three men who wero seated on
a fiat tomb eating their frugal midday
meal.
No. was the somewhat surly reply
Of the man who appeared to me to be
the foreman.
Only the weathercock9"
Yes"
The fellow now eyed mo closely, as
iffthere were something in my appear
snce that interested him. He was a
rather tall and powerfully built man,
a with a full black beard and rather Gu
~ O,,a Iaa,~ got 49,, Tn,o.o .r,. >.,
i thing about the eyes that fascinated
me. Surely | had seen them before.
But wherep | had no recollection of
having ever previously made tho &C
= H"THi-An of a steeplejack.
M f1is manfie suddenly changed toward
"a me. He rose from his seat and seemed
"a anxious to converse.
3 Pretty country around here, SIR"
agreed with him.
Lovely view from tho top" He
+ pointed with his thumb to tho steeple,
You get what they call q birdseve
view for miles around, and | believe |
paw the sea this morning through that
break yonder in the South Downs"
How do you go up?" | asked.
In a sort OF cage. | am Just going
now, sill. Will you go with me? You
may never get the opportunity again"
1 thought he was probably right, and
hat 1T was a pity to miss such an ex-
b%erience.
But is it quite safe?" | inquired.
Bless you, yes, sir. I'll take care
ri you right enough" And he LAUGHED
q way that was certainly not pleas
mt, but it struck me as being only n
ocular mannerism.
consented to make the ascent. and
au mounted the belfry stairs and
OF out on the beltry leads.
"a Deltsr go first" he said, land
20 see you safely landed. The
age will only hold one at II time"
He was o hauled to tho top, and
hen he had disembarked the cage was
down again for my reception.
in and proceeded to ascend up the
sside OF the steeple. | had not risen
any yards before | began to feel very
frvous. My life was absolutely al
o mercy of the two men who were
ling me up. Suppose by some acci-
mt they should let go? What if the
pc should break, or the pulley at the
b give way?
Go 40 ho bclSA 10 winch i WAS being
Is ted increased, so my terror increased
20. l dared not look downward. One
made me turn sick and faint.
o palms of my hands were moist,
perspiratiOn stood in beads on my
fehead. What a fool I had been to
1hsent to go upl
he ascent could not have taken many
hutes, but it seemed as if it were
fer going to reach tho top. Once
re, the steeplejack helped mo to get
to the little platform, where ]
Euched down and chung to tho stand.
Of the weathcrcock, trembling in
*asS<3ry limb.
by guido signaled to his assistants
z5<Ie t down tho cage, and turning to
n few moments later said:
My men have now gone down the
for II drink. told them that we
lldn't want to como down for an
81"
An hour!" l exclaimed. Am
in this horrible place for an hour?
>4s3 lainl"
thought you might like time to
Primo the view carefully. Pretty.
it?"
Do You meal to-is thisa brutal.
tical joker"
Nc. l was never moro serious in
|M<8.Iseo T.l-. 49, .A