Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1901-12-19

uncanny about it, too, that set my heart
humping and my flesh creeping as they
have ever done before or have since.
When the laugh ceased and silence
eame again as an awful relief, l said:
whats the joke, Jack? Don't keep 1t
to yourself"
"Jokew he said. 81 should think it
would be joke. l was fancying you
shooting down like a stone to the pave
ment down there and what Ruth would
think when she saw the pieces"
What a rummy ideaw l answered
with affected coolness though my heart
was beating faster than ever and seemed
as if it would suffoCate me. But I'm
going down a little slower than that as
soon as I've finished this bit of work.
But pull yourself together, Jack, and get
your gold on. and then Wen soon be down
there on our two legs"
"No, sir" he shouted. I'm going to
have a race with you to the bottom. and
whoever gets there first Ruth can have.
Come on! Now for jump together"
AS he said this he craned his neck
round the corner Of the steeple to get n
look at me, and a single glance at his
wild eyes showed me that the man was
raving mad and that | was alone in mid
air with maniac who hated me and
would certainly kill me if he could.
l was powcrless If | called for help, /
might be heard but who could come to
my assistance, poised as l was at such a
giddy height above the world? And in 4
single moment | might be in the throes
OF life and death struggle with a man
quite as strong as myself and made ten
times stronger by madness.
He was slowly and surely working
round toward me, and there was not
moment to waste. Something must be
done quickly, and everything depended on
keeping cool. In moment | had eased
the hitch OF the line around my hand and
was swung around to meet him. Before
he had time to protect himself | had
seized him by the throat and had forced
him down on the saddle board.
But it was only for moment, for,
strong as | was, my strength was as a
chid's compared with his. With a
wrench he was free and had flung his
powerful arms around my chest and was
squeezing the very life out of me.
In vain | struggled as we swung back
ward and forward against the face of the
steeple. | tried to call out, but my voice
stuck in my throat, my eyes felt as If
they were being forced out Of my head,
and my breath came in convulsive gasps.
All the time. amid the horrible silence.
broken only by the creaking of the ropes
and the grating OF the saddles against the
steeple, his eyes were glaring into mine
and his hot breath was on my face.
/ felt my senses rapidly leaving me
when my hand by accident struck my
toobox. and instinctively. as it were,
clutched a wrench. With a last effort !
raised my hand. struck him with all my
remaining strength full on the temple
and then ! remembered no more.
When | came to myself, | was lying in
bed and Ruth's eyes were looking down
on me with just such a look in them as
an angel might have. but she said no
word, and | sank into unconsciousness
again.
1t was weeks before l was about again
or heard what happened after all became
dark about me on the top OF the steepe
1t seems the struggle had been seen by
the people on the street below. An ex-
cited crowd had gathered but they could
do nothing but look and wonder and wait.
They had seen me strike Jack and fall
back senseless in the saddle as his arms
released me, and then, to their horror.
they had seen him slip off his platform
and drop like a stone, rebounding off the
steepIe and falling with shattered head
on the stone pavement at their feet. He
must have slipped his life line in the
struggle, but luckily mine saved me. and
with great difficulty | was safely lowered
down and carried home.
Well, there's little more to tell. They
buried poor Jack, and three months later
the wedding bells were ringing for me
and the sweetest bride that ever brought
q man from the gates Of death back to a
life that has been all sunshine-London
Tit-Bits.