The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-12-11

bin8uSA 0RpCaEduCc ln the wall on the opposite side of the gorge which at once drew my attention. About half the depth of the wall was what appear ed to be huge black stone, but it had | peculiar shining lustre, something
 like that sometimes sesn in ordinary coai where 1t Is smoothly fractured,
 but as there was no coal in that region
 and l had not before seen any mineral possessing such an appearance I was oetermined to know more about it. so
 worked my way around the verge of
 the gorge so as to get directly over it.
 had noticed a large tree standing
 almost directly above the black spot.
 ana to this l made my way. The tree l was some ten or twelve feet from tho | pit. and l sat down on the side nearest the verge to rest myself before trying to get a nearer view. Before setting | down, however, and as I approached the pit. I was conscious of singular feeling as if I were being drawn to- wards the edge. I could not account for it. but felt no alarm. thinking per- haps the effort of climbing around the rough surface had caused a slight gid diness. though had never been affec- ted in that manner.
 No sooner had I seated myself, how ever. than to my surprise found that l was slipping forward. The ground
 
 and grass on 1t, but nothing which would furnish a foot-hold or on which II could lay my hand. As slipped forward with increasing speed. such a feeling of fright came over me as I had never before experienced. It was but a few moments till found myself going over the verge of the precipice, clutching at the grass and weeds. in a | vain effort to stay my fall. had of Nn1 y,n 1A NHz the water. or of the exact night of the wall. and the realization that I was perhaps going to my death. and that there was no human aid near was so horrible that I yelled with uncon- trollable terror. In another moment I had gone over and found myself fall- ing with incredible swiftness. As passed the black substance of which I havs before spoken. felt a sudden jerk which almost wrenched me in two, but I passed on, down. Another sur- prise awaited me. for was not so en- tirely startled out of my wits as not to notice that my speed decreased after I passed the black rock. instead of being accelerated as is common with falling bodies. In fact, my feet had barely touched the surface of the water when I was jerked upward so suddenly that my breath seemed to leave me bodily. but had no time for thought for in moment my back was drawn against the black rock with a shock which seemed almost to wrench my bones loose. and there I remainedl
 To say that I was surprised and l frightened faintly expresses my feel ings. To find myself in such an mex plicable manner plastered as 1t were to | the face of a smooth and vertical wall of rock, where I dangled like a huge | spider pinned to a wall, caused such | feeling of unutterable terror and help lessness as no words can express, and think the surprise and horror of 1t must have temporarily deprived me of my senses and l ceased to struggle for | a short time.
 When I again came to myself I en- | deavored to take something like a calm survey of my condition. soon discovered that I was held by some un- seen force which brought my back for cibly against the rock. Whether 1t was some terrible and unseen monster which had reached out its arms from a recess in the wall or whether 1t was some kind of demon of the mountain which held me in its hideous embrace could not determine, and the very mystery of my condition affected me | much more powerfully than any pain except that my belt seemed to draw me with force which threatened to cut off my breath My arms and legs were entirely free, and as may be supposed. I thrashed them around wildly and aimlessly for a time. but soon became weary of the struggle and hung limp and helpless. While I struggled to free myself, how ever, I was not unmindful of the dan ger threatening me if could succeed in detaching myself from my fasten- | ings. As I have stated, I had no idea of the depth of the water below me, and knew not but that I would be drowned like rat in tub If should be precipitated into it. and it looked as if I was either to be drowned or left | to die impaled on the rocky wall.
 I suppose an hour had passed in this | helpless and apparently hopeless con- dition, when thought I would fire one 1 of my revolvers rapidly with the faint
 hope that one of my companions might l be within hearing and come to my as-
 sistance. With this intention, drew
 the right-hand pistol from my belt
 but no sooner had 1t become disen- l gagged than 1t was drawn backward
 with such force that it was jerked from
 my hand and struck the rock with a
 noisy clang. Twisting my head around
 I saw that the pistol was attached to
 the black stone, and my utmost | strength, situated as I was, was not
 sufficient to disengage 1t.
 Then the mystery of my situation
 was revealed. What had taken for a black and lustrous rock was in fact a
 mass of magnetic iron, but of such ln-
 tense force as had never before con-
 ceived My rife, being almost wholly
 of iron and steel. had such quantity of
 metal in 1t that 1t was much more than
 sufficient to bear my weight, and the