The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1905-05-25


OF smoke, and escap'd. The rooms be-
meath. they say, were stuff'd with straw,
and the yard outside heap'd also with
straw, and blazing. Ben Halliday found
two oil jars lying there"
Are the horses out?'
"Oh, Jack-I do not know? Shame on
me to forget them!"
l ran toward the stable. Already the
roof was ablaze, and the straw yard be-
yond very furnace. Rushing in, /
found the two horses covering in their
stalls. l fetched Molly's saddle, and
spoke to her, and set it across her back.
and the sweet thing was quiet in a mo-
ment, and followed me out like lamb,
The bay gave more trouble but sooth-
ed him in the same manner, and patting
his neck, led him, too, into safety.
A hand was laid on my arm, and
there In the shadow waited Billy him
self, with a mighty curious twinkle in
his eye. He put finger up and signed
that I should follow. He led me out by
the postern gate.
Saw one stealing lutheran follow'd.
A man WI a limp foot-went over the
side like a cat" and he pointed to rope.
As fast as I could tug hauled up the
rope. Nearly sixty feet came up before
l reach'd the end-a thick twisted knot.
| rove a long moose, pull'd it over my
head and shoulders, and made Billy I'M
derstand he was to lower me.
He paid 1t out carefully while /
stepp'd to the edge Of the cliff. Down l
sway'd, and at last swung myself inward
to the ledge, gain'd footing, and took
glance round before slipping of the rope.
! stood on a shelf Of sandy rock that
wound round the cliff some way to my
left, and then, as thought, broke sharp
ly away.
l slipp'd off the rope and left it to dan
gle. while / crept forward to explore,
keeping well against the rock and plant
ing my feet with great caution.
/ believe / was twenty minutes taking
as many steps, when at the point where
the ledge broke off 1 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 second shelf
below. 1 heard the sound of footstep;
and fac'd round. Before me, not six
PAGES off, stood Hannibal Tingcomb. He
was issuing from the hole with a sack on
his shoulder, and sneaking to descend the
steps, when he threw a glance behind
and saw mel Neither spoke. With
face gray as ashes he turn'd very slow
ly, until in the unnatural light we look'd
straight into each others eyes.
Then, letting slip the sack. he flung his
arms up, ran a pace or two toward me,
and tumbled on his face in a fit. His
4. Il H., &c
legs slipp'd. In trice he was hanging
by his arms, his old distorted face turn'd
up, and froth about his lips. / made a
step to save him, and then jump'd back,
1attening myself against the rock.
The ledge was breaking. saw a seam
cape at my feet. 1 saw it widen and
spread to right and left. l heard a rip
ping, rending noise-a rush Of stones and
earth; and, clawing the air, with wild
screech, Master Tingcomb pitch'd back
ward, head over heels, into space.
Then follow'd silence; then a horrible
splash as he struck the wafer, far below;
then again a slipping and trickling, as
more of the ledge broke away-at first a
pebble or two sliding-a dribble Of earth
next, a crash and cloud of dust. 4
last stone ran loose and dropp'd.
1 shut my eyes and shouted. There
was no answer. l scream'd again and
again. The rock flung my voice seaward.
Across the summit vaulted above, there
drifted a puff OF brown smoke. No one
heard.
A while Of weakness followed. Ny
brain real'd my fingers dug into the rock
behind till they bled. 1 bent forward
forward over the heaving mist through
which the sea crawld like a snake. 1t
beckon'd me down, that crawling water.
"Shall 1 jump?" thought 1, "or bide
here till help comes?"
Twas a giddy, awful leap. But the
black horror was at my heels now. In
a minute more 'twould have me! and then
my fall was certain. l bent my knees,
and, leaving my hold of the rock, sprang
forward-out over the sea. l saw it
twinkle, fathoms below. Ny right hand
touched-grasped the rope.
Quick! Oh, Billy, pull quick!'
He could not hear, yet tugged like a
Trojan.
"Now, here's a time to keep a man
sittin'w he shouted, as he caught my
hand and pulled me full length on the
turf.
There was no answer. The black hor-
ror had overtaken me at last.
They carried me to q shed in the great
court Of Gleys and set me on straw, and
there, till far into the afternoon, 1 lay
betwixt swooning and trembling, while
Della bathed my head in water from the
sea, for no other was to be had. And
obouf four in the afternoon fho horror
left me, so that / sat up and told my
story pretty steadily.
what Of the houser asked when
the tale was done and a company sent
to search the east cliff from the beach.
"All perishedv' said Della, and then
smiling, 81 am as houseless as ever,
Jack"
And have the same good friends"
THAT'S true. But listen-for while
you have lain here Billy and / have put
our heads together. He is bound for
Brest, he says, and has agreed to take
me and such poor chattels as are saved
to Brittany, where know my mothers
kin will have a welcome for me until
these troubles be passed. Already the
half of my goods is aboard the Godsend,
and letter to Sir Bevill begging him to
appoint an honest man as my steward.
What think you Of the planT
at seems good PLAN" answered,
slowly; "the England that now is is no
place for woman. When do you sail?"
"As soon as you are recovered, Jack."
"Then that's now"
"Art looking downcast, Jack"
Said L: "How else should look. that
L. 49, -