The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1894-06-13

| ing on which he stood. He was about
to go down the ladder again to dis
cover where the break had occurred
when draft of air stirred the rope,
and, as it moved, he saw that it did
not go through the hole at all. 1t came
to an end just where it reached the
floor.
Ralph placed the lantern beside him
and bent down to examine the rope.
1t seemed to have been severed by
some jagged edge, for it was torn and
frayed, and bits of hemp strewed the
floor near by. He concluded that it
must have been worn through by rub
bing against the sides Of the hole
through which ithad originally passed.
While he was looking at it he was
startled by sharp squeak at his very
elbow. He glanced quickly about,
and bright spark in a dark corner of
the belfry caught his eye. Hepicked
up the lantern and swung it in front
of him, and small gray animal
darted under beam. 1t was rat.
All at once, Ralph recollected that
the old belfry was said to be infested
with these animals, and, raising him
self, he turned to go. As he did SO,
his foot struck the edge of floor
board AMI he fell, knocking the Ian
tern over and instantly extinguishing
the light.
Somewhat startled now, for the first
time, he CROPPED about for the trap
door, but could not find it. The
moonlight, which came from above,
lost itself in the narrow tower, and
where he lay it was almost entirely
dark. At last, however, his hand came
in contact with something which he
knew was the trap door; but, even as
he touched it, it tell with bangl He
neryously tried to raise it again; but
in vain. The door was flush with the
floor about it, and there was no ring
bolt'or projection by which to secure
hold on it.
While Ralph was struggling to get
finger beneath the trap door, the
same sharp squeak which had startled
him before sounded again, and this
time it was almost Immediately echoed
from half dozen other places.
As he turned about, in every direc-
tion there shone in the darkness tiny
sparks of light. Ralph knew that
these were the eyes of rats. One, or
even couple of the animals he would
not have feared But dozen of
them, boldly surrounding him in this
way in the darkness, sent shiver
down his back. He noted, too, that
they did not seem afraid of him,
though he banged on the floor and
yelled at them. Instead, they grew
bolder as their numbers increased,
and one of them presently darted
across his foot.
Ralph now sprang to his feet and
rushed at the enemy. Those in front
of him at once retreated, as he could
tell by the disa appearance of their
eyes. But as he moved several jumped
at him from behind, aud one fastened
its teeth iu his leg. He kicked wildly
at this, and the rat was thrown to one
side. Another instantly sprang at
him, and then half-dozen at once, a
couple of the vicious little animals
fastening themselves in his clothes.
Ralph whirled about, dashing his
assailants off for moment. 1t was
only for moment, however, for he
was attacked again Immediately, and
this time more tiercely than before.
Thoroughly terrified now, he yelled
loudly, aud kicked and struck out
with fists and feet indiscriminately.
But no answer came to his cries. The
walls of the tower echoed his voice and
the squeaks and squeals of the rats
but that was all.
Something struck Ralph in the face.
Instinctively he made pass at it with
his hand, thinking it was rat But
his fingers came in contact with the
bell rope, which shook with the blow,
then swayed into his face again.
At the second blow an idea came to
him. He reached out quickly with
both hands aud grasped the rope and
pulled himself from the floor. Then,
with one tremendous kick, he shook
off the last of the rats which clung to
him, and, hand over hand, raised him
self half-dozen feet into the air.
The rope slowly descended with his
weight as the WHEEL slowly revolved.
The bell at last struck solitary,
muilied note as the tongue fell against
its edge. Then it was silent, remain
ing tilted in the air, and, and Ralph
rested
But the strain on his arms soon
warned him that he could not long
stay in his present position, even with
his feet twisted about the rope as they
were. To go down he did not dare
To go up was the alternative; so
slowly he pulled himself higher until
his head struck something hard He
quickly put up hand and felt for the
obstacle. A short examination told
him that it was beam. Then he re-
membered that a couple of stout tim
bers ran across the belfry and gave
support to the frame in which hung
the bell.
Ralph twisted himself about and
tried to force himself between the two
beams But the intervening space
would only admit his head and shoul-
ders, and, having worked himself that
far upward, he found his legs were so
confined that he could scarcely move
them. He then clutched the rope
with one hand, and the most conven-
lent beam with the other, and, for a
full minute, renamed motionless,