Virginia gazette. [volume] (Williamsburg, Va.) 1893-192?, 1905-06-10
Continually


and there iu the shadow waited Billy
himself. With a mighty curious twinkle
in his eye. lie put n finger up and
signed that / should follow
We passed round the outbundinCs
whore. three hours before. Matt.
Soamcs and I had hid together. 1
Aas minded Ga stop and pail on my
s. lots that were hid here. but (and
- was er.erward the saving OF mel.
on second thoughts let them Tie. and
followed Efilv. lie now led me ont 10y
the poSterr safe.
'Saw oae stealing Lithcr-an' fol
lowed. a nam wi limp foos-went
over the ~iie ike cat"
As fast SIS 7 could tug. I hauled up
the rope. Ncariy sixty feet came mp
before reached the end-a thick.
twisted KNOT 7 rove n long moose.
pulled is over my head and shoulders.
and made Billy understand he was 20
lower me-
'Sit g. tne moose. lad an hold round
The knot. For sign TO hoist again. TUG
the rome Bard. I can hold"
He paid 10 ont carefully while
stepped Oh tlc edge With the moose
around my lons I thrust myself gene
tly over. ana in a tricc hung sway
ing.
Down 7 svaycd Biliy letting ont
the rope very steady. and at last
swung myself inward 90 the ledge.
gained a footing and took q glance
round before slipping or the rope.
stood on shelf Of sandy rock that
wound round the Cliff some way 20
my left. and then as I thought. broke
sharply away.
! Slipped of the rope ard left 30 90
dan-lc. while 7 crept forward 90 exc
piorc. keeping wen against the rock
and planting my feet with great eau
ton
believe ( was twenty minutes tax
Ing MS many steps. VIXEN at the point
where the ledge broke OF I saw the
ends of au .ron ladder sticking up. and
close beside 10 "a great hole in the rock
which uu BOW the curve OF the clid
had hid. The ladder no doubt stood
on second shelf below
heard tne SOUND or q footstep anl
faced round
Before mc. not six PAGES or st0o,
Hannibal Tingcomb
He was issuing from tho hole witt
sack on his shoulder. and sneakin;
20 descend the steps. when ne threw
q glance bchiud-and saw me,
Neither spoke. With face gray n
ashes he turned very slowly. until 81
the unnatural light we looked straigh
into each others eyes.
Then. letting Slip the sack. he fun
his arms uD. ran q pace or two towar
me and tumbied on his face in ID
His left shoulder hung over the verge
his legs slipped In n trice ne wa
hanging 10y his arms. his old. dlstorte
face turned mp. and a froth about Dbl
lips. 7 made step 10 save him. an
then jumped back hattening myse
against the rock.
The ledge was breaking,
I saw q seam cape at my feet.
saw &c widen and spread 10 right an
left. / heard ripping. rending nois
"A rush OF stones and earth; an'
clawing the air. with wild screecl
Master Tingcomb pitched backwar.
head over heels. into space.
Then followed silence. then q horr
bic splash as Dec struck the water. f,
below; then again slipping and trio
ling. MS more of the ledge broke avs
at first a pebble or two sliding
dribhle Of earth-next. crash and
cloud of dust. 4 last stone ran loo
and dropped.
l shut my eyes and shouted. The
was no answer
1 screamed again and again. N
rock fuuw my voice Sal yro-1 Aero
the summit vaulted above. there dri
ed a pun OF brown smoke. No o
heard.
4 while Of weakness followed. y
brain reeled; my fingers dug into {
rock behind tin they bled. l bent +,
ward-forward over the heaving m
through which the sea crawled like
snake. 1t beckOned ne down. n
crawling water.
"Shall / jump" thought I. "or bl
here till help comesT'
Twas a siddy. awful leap. But {
black horror was at my heels now.
a minute more 'twOuld have me: n
then my fan was certain. bent
knees. and. leaving my hold OF I
rock. sprang forward-Out over the s
! saw il twinkle. fathoms below.
right hand tOuched-grasped the TO
then my left. as l swung far out III
IL. l slipped an inch-three inche
held. swaying wildly. My foot was
the moose. 1 heard q shout a5o
and as l dropped to sitting post
the rope began to rise.
"Quick, Oh. Billy. pull uuickr'