The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1896-11-26
PETHERICK'S PERIL.


along the face of those wave worn prec-
ipices. My companions and I used to
get much excitement and sometimes
good deal of pocket money by taking
their eggs. One of US, placing his feet
in a loop at the end of rope and TAX
ing good grip with his hands, would
be lowered by the others to the nest.
When he had his basket full, they would
haul him up and another would go
down.
Well, enc afternoon I thus went
dangling off. They paid out about a
hundred feet Of rope before touched
the ledge and let go.
You must know that most of the
cliffs along that coast overhang the sea.
At many points one could drop 600 feet
dnto the sea and then be 40 or so feet
from the base of the rock he left The
coast is scooped under by the waves. But
in some places the cliff wall is as though
it had been eaten away by seas once
running on higher levels. There will be
an overhanging coping; then, some hun
dred feet down, ledge sticking out far
ther than that of the top. Under that
ledge all will be scooped away. In
places there are three or four such
lodges, each projecting farther than
those above. These lodges used to fall
away occasionally, as they do yet, am
told, for the ocean is gradually devour-
ing that coast. Where they did not pro-
ject farther than the upper coping, one
lad would swing like pendulum on the
rope and get on the rock, if not too far
in, then put a rock on the loop to hold
it till his return. When ledge did pro-
ject SO that one could drop on it, he
hauled down some slack and left the
rope hanging.
Well, the ledge I reached was like
this: 1t was some ten feet wide. 1t
stuck out maybe some six feet farther
than the cliff top. The rock wall went
up pretty near perpendicular, till near
the coping at the ground, but below the
ledge the cliffs face was so scooped
away that the sea, 500 feet below, ran
in under it nigh so feet.
AS went down thousands of birds
rose from the jagged places of the prec-
ipice, circling around me with harsh
screams. Soon touching the ledge, /
stepped from the loop, and, drawing
down little slack, walked off briskly.
For fully a quarter of mile the ledge
ran along the cliffs face almost as level
and even in width as a sidewalk. / re-
member fancying that it sloped out
ward more than usual, but instantly
dismissed the notion, though CATER
Pentreath, the Oldest man in that coun-
tryside, used to tell us that we should
not get the use of that ledge always. 1t
had been as steady in our time as in his
grandfather's, and we only laughed at
his prophecies. Yet the place of an old
filed fissure was marked by line Of
grass, by tufts of weeds and small BUSH
es, stretching along as far as the ledge
itself and within a foot or SO of the
cliffs face.
Eggs were not SO many as usual, and.
went long piece from my rope be-
fore turning back. Then I noticed the
very strange conduct Of the hosts Of sea
fowl below. Usually there were hun.
dreds, but now there were thousands on
the wing, and instead of darting forth
in playful motions they seemed to be
wildly excited, screaming shrilly, rush
ing out in terror and returning in mass
es as though to alight, only to wheel i'll
dread ana keep the air in vast clouds.
The weather was beautiful, the sea
like glass. At no great distance two
large briggs, and nearer small yacht
lay becalmed, heaving on the long bill
lows. could look down her cabin stair
way almost, and it seemed scarcely
more than long leap to her deck.
Puzzled by the singular conduct of
the sea birds, soon stopped and set my.
back against the cliff to rest while.
watching them. The day was deadly
still and very warm.
| remember taking off my cap and
wiping the sweat from my face and
forehead with my sleeve. While doing
this looked down inyoluntarily to the
fissure at my feet. Instantly my blood
almost froze with horror. There was a
distinct crack between the inner edge.
of the fssure and the hard packed, root
threaded soil with which it was filed.
FOrcibly [ pressed back and in flash
looked along the ledge. The fissure was
widening before my eyes, the rock be-
fore me seemed sinking outward, and,
with shudder and groan and roar,
the whole long platform fell crashing to
the sea below. stood on a margin of
rock scarce a foot wide, at my back a
perpendicular cliff and 500 feet below
the ocean, now almost hidden by the
vast concourse of wheeling and alright
ed BIRDS
Can you believe that my first sensa-
ton was one of relief? stood safe.
Even feeling of interest held me for
some moments. Almost coolly I OBJ
served long and mighty wave roll out
from beneath. 1t went forth a high,
curling crest-a solid wall of water. It
struck the yacht stern on, plunged down
on her deck, smashed through her swell
of sail and swept her out of sight.
Not till then did my thought dwell
entirely on my own position. Not till
then did comprehend its hopelessness