The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1907-06-27
BY ALBERT W. roLMAN.

raised again and the weight fell,
what chance had he to avoid being
crushed to a jellyl
Cold and fright set Harvey's teeth
to chattering; his legs shook so that
he could hardly stand. Unless he
could make his cries audible to the
bridge-tenders or some pedestrian the
next whistle, signifying that a tug
was approaching from up or down
river, would mark his doom. At all
hours OF day and night the harbor
was busy place, and no very long
period could elapse before the dread
ed signal would be heard.
AS the horror of his situation
dawned fully upon him a wild wave
of unreasoning terror swept over the
unhappy merchant. Almost crazed,
he hammered the walls with his fists,
dashing round and round through the
Icy water, and making the we'll re-
verbrate with his cries. Then he be-
came more calm. OF what use to
wear himself out thus vainlyl He
must save all his energies for an at
tempt to gain the notice of some ap-
preaching pedestrian.
He stood in the middle of the pit in
dead silence, broken only by vague
sounds from outside and the gentle
tapping of water against his dungeon
walls. Presently he heard a faint
tapping of feet on the plank walk ap-
preaching the bridge. Now was his
opportunity. At the top of his lungs
he screamed hoarsely for help.
The feet stopped, as if their owner
had heard his voice and was trying to
locate it. Hope buoyed the prisoner
up. He redoubled his shouts, listen
ing painfully at short intervals. Then
to his bitter disappointment the steps
passed hurriedly on.
Despair smote Harvey. OF what
avail to try again IL those cries that
had almost burst his throat had ac-
complished nothing! But death was
sure If he remained silent. Perhaps
the man above had been deaf, and the
next would have better ears. He
waited, hoped, trembling.
All this time the dread of an ap-
preaching whistle hung over him.
Again and again he seemed to hear
it, faint and penetrating, and at every
suspicion his hair bristled. The
bridge lifted often at that hour. AL
ready it had remained down much
longer than he had supposed possible.
Any second might herald his doom.
| There was little prospect of attract
| ing the notice of the bridge-tenders,
snugly ensconced in their house on
that cold night. Would another Pc
| destrian never come?
Waiting there in the centre of the
pit Harvey forgot the freezing water
in which he stood, forgot his smart
| ing hands and numbly aching joints.
All else was overshadowed by the
nightmare of those tons of iron sus-
pended over his head, ready at any
instant to descend and crush out his
| life. He knew that men had fallen
into these wells before, and that their
bodies had been taken out unrecogniz-
able days and weeks afterward. Was
that to be his fate?
On a sudden another football
sounded above, firm, unhesitating,
rapid. Evidently its owner was bent
on business. A thought of his own
appointment, of his friend waiting in
the comfortable station, consulting
his watch and wondering why he did
not come, flashed through Harvey's s
mind, and he remembered that it was
his fatal habit of being behind time
that had involved him in this predica-
ment. All this shot through the mer-
chants brain even as he raised his
voice to shout again.
This time the passerby, apparently
preoccupied with his own thoughts,
was not arrested by the faint cries
under him. Without hesitating the
footsteps passed on and died away.
Monroe had been almost deafened by
the echoes of his own clamoring.
Strange that no one else could hear
It!
Then. almost paralyzing brain and
body, came the thing he had so long
dreaded. A faint whistle penetrated
his dungeon. He knew that in the
open air outside 1t was the loud
screech of an approaching tug. AL
would be over ere many seconds had
passed.
Just then rapid footsteps above
again fell on his ears. Evidently
some one was Fastening to get acros.
before the bridge should be raised
Monroe, grasping at the faint hope O
rescue. set the pit ringing with hi
| cries.
: (, Overhead came creaking, a clank
. ing. They were starting to raise tn,
draw. The footsteps stopped sudden
: ly The man had been too late t,
cross. and must wait until the tn,
} had passed.
The roof of >the merchants prison
: slid harshly back. The counter
weight was descending. Whatever h,
did must be done within the next few
1 seconds. Could he make the MAJ
I above appreciate his peril. SO that h,
$ in turn might cause the bridge-tend
: ers to understand In time to checl
Q the counterweight?
D Haryey's voice rose In a hoars,
I shrek of agony, strange In his owl
0 ears, hardly that OF a human being:
. "Helpl Help! Stop the bridget"
The pedestrian above, astounded a