The Savannah morning news., 1901-09-22

the misty, echoing gorge faint voices
Curley Bowers was shivering and talk
ing to himself. He's gone" the lad
lamented; poor old Westerman, he's
off the map! Wouldn't that jar >you?"
Then he pulled himself together and
started to run down toward the ele-
vator. "C'm on" he shouted to me.
Let's sec this circus through"
Beside the elevator we found Skit-
ters, his face pale pea green. Look
a-here," he cried, with a knowing air.
this thing is getting pretty close to
risky. Wed better look our for our
scalps, and cut and run" But Bowers,
showing his teeth like wharf rat,
snarled: Who cares about your scalp?
There's game man gone down there.
You've got a boat, m you'll come along
m help get him out" So we hurried
down to- the lower river where the
boat was, Skitters and his company.
We must have been a curious collec-
ton! The inventor had run down and
Joined us, his eyes bullying and his
mouth wide open Even then he SEEM
ed to be principally concerned about
the fate of the suit. From his some
what fragmentary remarks l gathered
that after he had carefully inclosed
Westerman in this, plain for all men
to see, the German had quietly rolled
off into the water. He had gone down
to keep the appointment, indeed, but
in his own fashion; old Gill was still
indignant at the trick. We crouched
there, meanwhile, on the stones, and
watched the writhing water come out
from the shadow of the precipice with
queer long streaks in 1t, Bowers and
Skitters and the man who had charge
of the boat pushed off In this; they
went a long way out and as far as they
dared up the stream. Yet It was close
inshore and very near us that we
caught sight of the object OF oul
search, and the sight of it gave us al
a start, See, see; there 1t is" NUT
tered old Gill, and pointed. We watch
ed it with a kind of awe as though u
had been uncanny; and as we watched
the figure stirred and swan.
"Alive!" Skiters stood up in the boat
reckless OF the river and flushed witt
the pride of victory, Napoleon at Au'
sterlitz, Caesar on the triumphal car
He bowed as though to invisible
| crowds; l believe that for moment
! he thought he owned the Falls. Gen
tlemen," he almost sobbed, Il dldn
quite plan it this way, but we've go'
here the biggest attraction that tins
world has ever yet seen. Wen o.
known all over American tomorrow
Help me to get him out OF this,
| cried Bowers. They had towed tins
bulky figure in toward land, ana tht
arms kept swimming and convulsivelS
| clutching air. We drew 1t up upon tht
beach and began to open the pneu
matte suit. wondering to see how this
had been bruised and strained. ONT
| of the legs hung Imply, smashed II
| spite of all the armor.
/ vnxf 4 find If NOT eaSN
to describe. We got the helmet off a.
/ last with nervous fingers, and we saw
a smothered, distorted countenance, tins
/ eyes closed tight as though TO shut ou
| fear. They opened in a moment. witt
the strangest blankest expression II
them, and did not see us. and a voice
began to speak, or to gibber rather
no matter what the words were. VIVA
would the words be of one whose rea'
son has snapped suddenly. and left
mind all blank or tlpsy-turvy
suppose, in fact, that the German
brain. long dwelling upon that fool
hardly feat, may have become unset
tied at the last, and have given way
rapidIy during those minutes in tht
upper rapids. That had been no sant
man who swan at the falls before us
and the mental wreck had been com
| pleted at last by possibly the creates
| physical shock that a human being ma
! ever yet survived. Life was there still
! in that wrenched and battered form
| hut not a spark of reason. But Skitters
! with an FL Dorado of dazzling possibil
tiles still before his eyes, refused t
accept the truth, and he strove to re
vive the shattered man with words o
! glittering cheer Just think OF II, n
bawled above the stunning uproar
] ThfFl
| of the Midway up yonder; think o.
| them great crowds a-streaming IL
! from all America, and you alive, ant
/ the biggest thing of all. the biggest in
| ducement in all the bunch-The Maj
| Who Went Over Niagara,-no fax
| about this show, and me your mana
| gerl" This he gabbled to the man be
| fore him; and the other was gabblinf
something about green girls who swan
! in the water. and turned the lights GU
| when one fell off the world Meanwhile
| the solemn cataract above thunderet
on increasingly. Indifferent to us ant
cur small tragedy. Once Curley Bower
/ turned toward it and exclaimed will
| a touch of respect he rarely showed
II guess 1t doesn't pay to monkey
much with you I am disposed Il
agree with this opinion. For indeed
those giant things of nature would
seem to have certain stern resentful
ness. and Niagara, like the Matterhorl
/ took vengeance on her conquerors a
last
! But think of that situariuni He. f
| @. Skitters. Of all the men on earth, 4
forced by the might of circumstance
to shake his head and deny knowledge
| of a feat as to whose possibility tn
world is arguing. He has the pneumatic
suit all ready for exhibition; he has. 1
ne could produce him, the only maj
alive who ever saw Niagara from ;
| point on the middle of the Horseshoe
fall yet the public waits in vain. AnC
the harvest hours are passing.
/