The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-09-19
Mr.. Browne succeeded in changing his

Mr.. Browne succeeded In changing his
OF indescribable relief; but the weight
OF his body on his arms, which We're
not those of u trained athlete, soon
brought an equally keen pain to his
hands and shoulders. He made up his
mind that the position astride the tree
was better, as a permanent thing than
to cling suspended.
Even II Mr.. Browne had not been ex-
hausted by his, efforts so far, he could
not have performed successfully the
turn-verein act Of pulling himself up
to a horizontal bar and sitting astride
the same, and this was practically what
he drove his toes into the crevices. but
could gain no foothold.
He heard the groaning OF the roots
above him, and he felt the cedar bend
ing down under his weight and efforts.
At length there came a crash. The
cedar tree had been torn from its moor
ings in the crevice OF the Palisades
wall, and the unfortunate man fell.
Nature may seem cruel at times, but
when she brings death she is ever kind
ly. She closes the eyes to surround
ing dangers. and deadens the brain
with an oblivion that blots out the past
and makes us Indifferent to the future.
Mr.. Van Cortland Browne knew no
more.
The gray dawn gradually flushing
with roster light came over the West
chester hills beyond the Hudson. A
silvery mist curtained the waters of
the river, and the few white clouds IN
the zenith, already catching the rays
of the rising sun. gave promise of a
beautiful day, when Mr.. Van Cortland
Browne regained consciousness and
looked about him. His first impress
sion was that he was at the bottom of
the Palisades and that every bone in
his body must have been broken.
When he had gained sufficient pres
ence of mind he began to take an In
ventory of his anatomy. He moved
ana felt his arms, and rejoiced to find
them unbroken. though decidedly stiff.
He investigated his legs in the same
way. and despair gave place to hope in
his heart when he found them practic-
ally uninjured.
Mr. Van Cortland Browne rose ana
looked about him. He was on little
plateau just six feet below the point
to which the tree had been clinging the
| day before. He could not have fallen
more than eighteen inches, so that his
INCONSISTENCIES was due to mental
shock rather than physical injury.
The plateau had an area of about ten
by twenty feet, and below this was n
sheer wall Of three hundred feet drop
ping down to the waters of the Hud-
son. Although there was no danger.
| Mr.. Van Cortland-Browne in his ner-
yousness drew away from the edge.
He was about to shout for help, when.
to his surprise and horror, he discov-
cred that his voice had deserted him
and that what he intended for a cry
for aid died away in a gurgle in his
throat.
Again despair rose in the ascend
| ency, for he saw that II he could not
| raise his voice, to indicate to search
ers his whereabouts, that he must die
in this horrible place Of hunger and
| thirst.
The sun rose higher ana higher. and
the ill-starred mans throat and lips
were SO parched that he would have
given half his fortune for a drink of
water. Gradually lie began to think
| that he was not Of so much Importance
| to the people Of the upper world as he
had imagined, for though his voice was
gone his hearing was intensified, and,
| strain his ears as he would, he detect
ed no sound OF searchers or rescuers.
1t was high noon when a thrill Of Joy
stirred his heart at hearing voices on