The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1904-08-17
XIV.

J. SlOOu ny IL w.
these questions to the men inside
when a hand was laid on my arm
and there in the shadow waited Billy
himself, with a mighty curious twinkle
in his eye. He put a finger up and
signed that l should follow.
We passed round the o%utbuildings
where, three hours before, Matt,
Soames and I had hid together.
was minded to stop and pull on my
boots, that were lid here, but (and
this was afterward the saving Of mel
on second thoughts let them lie, and
followed Billy. He now led me out 5y
the p~ostern gate.
Saw one stealing lutheran fol
lowed. A nan WI a limp foot-went
over the side like q cat"
As fast as 1 could tug, I hauled up
the rope. Nearly sixty feet came up
before 1 reached the end-a thick,
twisted knot. ] row a long moose,
pulled is we my head and shoulders,
and made Billy understand he was 10
lower me.
"Sit i the moose, lad, an hold round
the knot. For sign to hoist again, tug
the rope hard. 1 can hold"
He paid it out carefully while
stepped to the edge. With the moose
around my loins l thrust myself gen.
tly over, and in a trice hung sway
ing.
Down I swayed BILLY letting out
the rope very steady, and at last
swung myself inward to the ledge
gained a footing, and took a glance
round before slipping off the rope.
stood on a shelf Of sandy rock that
wound round the cliff some way to
my left, and then, as I thought, broke
sharply away.
I slipped off the rope and left it to
dangle, while l crept forward to ex-
plore, keeping well against the rock
and planting my feet with great eau
ton.
I believe I was twenty minutes tax.
Ing as many steps, when at the point
where the ledge broke off I saw the
ends of an iron ladder sticking up, and
close beside it a great hole in the rock,
which till now the curve of the cliff
had hid. The ladder no doubt stood
on a second shelf below.
I heard the sound of a footstep and
faced round.
Before me, not six PAGES of, stood
Hannibal Tingcomb.
He was issuing from the hole with
q sack on his shoulder, and sneaking
to descend the steps, when he threw
q glance behind-ard saw me!
Neither spoke. With a face gray as
ashes he turned very slowly. until in
the unnatural light we looked straight
into each others eyes.
Then, letting slip the sack, be flung
his arms up, ran a pace Oh two toward
me, and tumbled on his face in a fit.
His left shoulder hung over the verge;
his legs slipped. In q trice he was
hanging by his arms, his old, distorted
face turned up, and a froth about his
lips. / made a step to save him, and
then jumped back fattening myself
against the rock.
The ledge was breaking!
I saw a seam cape at my feet. /
saw it widen and spread to right and
left. I heard a ripping, rending noise
"a rush of stones and earth; and,
clawing the air, with a wild screech,
Master Tingcomb pitched backward,
head over heels, into space.
Then followed silence; then a horri-
BILE splash as he struck the water, far
below; then again a slipping and trick
ling, as more of the ledge broke away
at, first a pebble or two slidirg-a
dribble of earth-next, q crash and q
cloud of dust. A last stone ran loose
and dropped.
l shut my eyes and shouted. There
was no answer.
1 screamed again and again. The
rock flung my voice Seaward. Across
the summit vaulted above, there drift
ed a puff Of brown smoke. No one
heard.
A while Of weakness followed. My
brain reeled; my fingers dug into the
rock behind till they bled. I bent for
ward-forward over the heaviug mist
through which the sea crawled like 4
snake. 1t beckoned me down, that
crawling water.
shall I jump" thought l, "or bide
here till help comes?"
Twas a giddy, awful leap. But the
black horror was at my heels now. II
a minute more 'twould have me; an(
then my fall was certain. 1 bent my
knees, and, leaving my hold of the
rock, sprang forward-out over the sea
1 saw it twinkle, fathoms below. My
right hand touched-grasped the rope
then my left, as I swung far out upol
it. 1 slipped an inch-three inches
held, swaying wildly. My foot was il
the moose. 1 heard a shout above
and as I dropped to a sitting postur,
the rope began to rise.
"Quick! Oh, Billy, pull quick"
He could rot hear, yet tugGed Xix
q Trojan.
"Now here's 4 time to keep a ma
sittin'r' he shouted, as he caught m,
hand and pulled me full length on til
turf. "Why, lad-hast seen a ghost?
There was no answer The blac.
horror had overtaken me at last.
IL =
They carried me to a shed in tn
great court of Gleys and set me o
straw, and there, till far into the after
noon, I lay betwixt swooning an
trembling, while Della bathed my hea