Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1905-08-30

from the attack of the dating logs
Then a Sudden faintness Overcame
him. His strength failed. Was he
to drop back now, beaten at the very
beginning of his fight?
A climbers trick, remembered from
.his boyhood, now served him well.
Keeping firm hold with his right
hand, he reached down with his left,
grasped the loosely swinging rope,
brought it up round his body, anf
twisted it two or three times about
ithe strands above, making ~ loop
in which he could seat himself For
perhaps two minutes he rested in this
temporary trapeze, giving his tired
arms opportunity to recover their
strength. Then he resumed his climb.
For the men on the bluff it was a
time of breathless suspense. They
could see Jules face, white and drawn
with pain, as he rose slowly. They
sympathized with him, knowing the
pangs that every motion cost.
Ten, fifteen, twenty feet-higher
and higher still. The loop of the
rope swung loosely below the drivers
body. The mist-wreaths curled round
him. AS in dream, he heard the
roar of the baffled river, the Bullets OF
the grinding logs.
Twice again, his arms wearied to
tb ni- 1iyooit ho - iy,,-
provise a swinging seat. He knew
that the banks on each side were
lined with his friends, eager to help
if the opportunity should offer. He
but concentrated all his energies on
the task before him.
How far away was the knot? He
did not turn his head toward them,
looked up and saw it only fifteen feet
above. There was a dull ache in the
muscles of his arms. At every eff
fort sharp pain shot through his
broken leg. Gould he raise himself
the remaining distance?
He began to fear that he would
never gain the top. What should he
do? If he fell back from that height
the shock would jerk his arms from
their sockets. If he eased himself
down gradually it would be utterly
impossible to regain his present posi-
ton.
He faltered, stopped, hung for an
instant wavering. His fate depended
upon his next movement. Would it
be up or down? And then Robbins,
who had watched every inch of his
progress with keen, sympathetic eyes,
sent out cry of Encouragement:
keep on, Jules, keep on! You're
almost there!"
That timely note of human sym
pathy was just what the almost dis
heartened man needed to inspire him
to do his utmost Fresh energy
thrilled him. A dozen more desper-
ate grips upon the rope, and at last
he touched the knot.
Flinging both arms over the main
cable, he bent his elbows round it,
giving a respite to his strained fin.
gers. After hanging thus for a few
seconds, he cautiously withdrew his
right arm, and felt in his pocket TN.
til he found his knife. To open it
was a matter of some difficulty, but
with the aid of his teeth he finally
succeeded.
Then very carefully, his sight burr
ed by pain, he drew the blade across
the lashings that bound the block to
the knot. Soon these were severed,
and ne began cautiously to work him.
self in toward the bluff, assisted by
his comrades pulling on the rope.
It was a good fifty feet from the
knot to the bluff, and his progress was
slow and painful. But the knowledge
that safety was near called out every
particle of his reserve strength Ere
long the spruce to which the cable was
tied rose only short distance away.
A few efforts more and his body
brushed through the scrubby juniper
that fringed the top of the cliff, and
he dropped, fainting, into Robbins
outstretched arms.-Youth's Conlpan-
ion.