Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1906-03-01

his way, Sheppard hit upon an iron
ladder connecting with the heights
above, and presently we stood upon the
topmost pinnacle of the castle and
peered from it into the night. The noe
turnal mists and blackness of the val
/ ley below were slowly shifting. The
I trees gradually grew black, showing
against vast and gray gloom. Yet
| there was no light visible in those
seething changes of the elements. The
night still hung about us.
The southern drum tower looked
down upon deeper shadows, and I
could not descry the wall below. I
/ turned to my companion for an expla-
nation and smiled at the confusion Of
my own brain when be answered:
"That's the south, Ned. You know
| the battlemeDts are in ruins there"
| OF course they were,- but was not to
| be deferred from a complete circuit Of
the walls by that small fact, and ]
CROPPED for the ladder.
BE careful, Ned" said Sheppard.
Better not. Wait till it's light"
| Now, | knew very well at the time
that he spoke wisely and that | was
merely taking rash hazard for no
better purpose than to display to my
self my own determination or obsti-
macy. If you will. But the feeling was
strong upon me, and SO, picking my
steps down the ladder, paid him no
attention. Presently my foot, descend
| ing, shot through empty air, and COIN
cidently with that the iron bar to
which | was clinging with my left
hand ceased abruptly. For moment
had sickly sensation in my stom-
ach, and l went quite cold. But, brac-
| ing myself together, / kneeled upon
the lowermost step and launched my
body into space.
| / have no intention, as I say, OF de-
| Tending my foolhardiness, nor do l
take any credit for my ultimate escape
from what was undoubtedly deadly
psril. My legs kicked aimlessly in the
air and found no rest. frightened my
| hold upon the iron of the ladder and
strove to. pull myself up. But my
| wrists had already weakened in that
| tedious and unavailing oscillation in
space, and, to my horror, realized
that I could not get back.
ssSheppardr' / called family.
| Med! Ned!'' came Sheppard's whis-
per from above, and was vaguely
aware of tiny spark of light shining
| as it were in heaven. The glow lit up
| the remnants Of the iron ladder and
below this / could see as hung the
| imminent brows Of the ruined wall
and the cleaning light Of water far
away. Yet this illumination proved
my salvation. The ruins were over
run with masses of Irish ivy, as have
said, and in the course of centuries this
strongly growing creeper had clam
bered over and beyond the proper lin.
| its of decay and clothed with great
twisted branches the wall of the drum
/ tower at one side of me. Gasping from
| my exertions, / reached hand toward
| these leaves and, catching at thick
stem like a cable, chung to it desper-
| ately while dividing my weight be
| tween the two supports. My only anx-
iety was as to whether the ivy would
hold Its attachment to the stones Of
the wall must be precarious, and yet
| l had to trust it, and, poising an in.
| slant between the two, / dropped slow
| " upon the ereeper The friendly
| branches held, and 1 slipped carefully
down until I stood upon the broken
| stones of the ruined wall. High above
I saw Sheppard light another match
4 and heard his voice calling to me, but
I had no strength to reply. He flung
the light from him, and, descending in
| an arc, it passed before my eyes and
| went out with a fizzle below. I leaned
over, and the grayness of the coming
dawn lay in the water thirty feet be
meath me. A fragment of stone, de
tached by my movement, rumbled over
| the margin and fell with a great blob
| into the moat. There were twelve feet
Of water in the fosse shuddered and
called back to Sheppard.
| 81 was afraid something had hap
pened to you," said he. Are you all
right?"
I explained the position. wait
there, dlId IL JUN you AlOln Tic OtASi
side. You old fool, Ned!''
/ accepted the criticism meekly and
retained my place upon the ivy covered
ruins until I heard the sound Of feet
upon my right and presently perceived
Sheppard crawling over the stones to.
ward me- He sat down near me, pant
ing.
you can get down from the other
side pretty easily" he declared. "It's
well to remember that
II don't quite see why you have done
So" I answered, rather ungratefully
you would be better asleep"
"Oh, nonsensep' lie exclaimed; then
after pause, THE dawn will be up di-
rectly, Ned
Presently his head nodded upon his
shoulder / let him sleep. He must
have been worn with his long vigil and
the longer toll. knew that he would
not 60 to bed and he had better take