The daily Alaskan., 1908-12-14
ALL FOR A WAGER

Oub uut Mdg luOEL4ub uhAg SC0Ao ago, when young fellow of nineteen, l was rambling down H. street, near Russel square, In company with my friends, Tom Hewitson and Frank Pal grave.
 At the period in question was (sup- posed to bel reading for Oxford, while Hewitson was walking the hospitals" and Palgrave was expecting bis com mission" We were all athletes.
 As we saIntered pleasantly along, rapt in conversation on the mysteries of gymnastics, we approached ladder which was fixed to four story house.
 ''How little we think of the heroism of hodmenw exclaimed Palgrave. T would rather face a dragoon armed to the teeth than walk to the top of that ladder"
 "Pooh!' said I. "You must be jok- ing. see the feat performed every day by fellows whom you or I could pound Into mummy, and, what Is more, they carry on their business as leisure ly forty or fifty feet high as if they were paving roads,"
 'Yet I will lay an even bet of f5 that you won't do it." retorted Palgrave cooly.
 "Doneg replied.
 As the house was untenanted and the laborers were absent, there seemed no impeachment in the way.
 "Holdp cried Hewitson, who began to feel that a very serious responsl5E- fly might deyolve upon him in his ca- pacity of umpire. Were you ever up a ladder before?'
 "Hum-ah-yes-but not high ones. I should say l have been up fourteen or fifteen feet at least!'
 "There is a very serious difference, let me tell you, between fifteen feet and forty-fve," continued Hewitson, looking anxlously up to the roof. "It was only last week we had terrible accident at Guys, resulting from yer tigo and, let me tell you, now that I look closely Into the expression of your eyes, would strongly recommend you to stick closely to terra hrma,"
 q will cheerfully cancel the agree ment if you like" said the generous Palgraye.
 Nonsense, man! I am afraid you're funking Frank. Five pounds is good deal of money to lose fin five minutes, but I'll punish you for daring to ques- ton my courage. Goodby, old fellowP
 had arrived about twenty feet on my ethereal road when first became conscious of a strange feeling.
 I tried to laugh at my own apprehen' slons.
 Another step-another- r-another-hal those words of Hewitson's!
 "It was only last week we had a ter rlble accident at Guys, resulting from vertigo" now rang iu my ears with a fearful meaning.
 Another step! The cold precipitation broke out on my forehead, my knees trembled, and my teeth chattered. An other step! took 1t mechanically. Oh, heavens. what a fearful height l was now! How the world seemed to yawn beneath me!
 Another step, and now my agony of terror was almost insupportable. My whole frame trembled convulsiyely; l could hear the very palpitations of my heart. I had arrived on a level with the window, but 1t was two feet dis tant from me, and the attempt to pass that insignificant space must be cer- tain death.
 The day had hitherto been breath lessly calm; now, with the suddenness of our variable climate, 1t began to blow strongly. Marvellous to relate, this very circumstance gave me imme- diate relief and was, think, the prln- cipal agent In saving my life.
 As I had this fresh real danger to encounter I shook off the terrors of many that were really imaginary. The descent to earth must be accomplished. So, setting my teeth firmly and fixing my eyes with a dull, rigid, desperate stare on the brick wall before nc, l retrograded one step with knocking knees and then, with equal care, an- other.
 By practice the retrograde move ment became easy. l found 1t easy to withdraw my mind from vague, imag- mary horrors and to fix my whole care on self preservation. . Another step-another-another! Oh, glorious! l could look down now with something like composure and smiled. Another and anotherl Sweetest music that ever ever fell upon my ear, l could at last distinctly hear the voices of my two friends, around whom crowd had gathered.
 Bravo! By love, you'll do 1t all right yet! Hold firm and keep steady, my boy"
 was only twenty feet high, and l accomplished the remainder of my tourney with ease. Hewitson and Pal grave, who had been nearly as much frightened as myself, were shocked at my ghasuy paleness. They said I re- sembled a risen corpse. The good na- tured fellows had q cab and flask of brandy in attendance. l was put into the cab, and the brandy was put Into me.
 But l was pronounced ln danger ous fever that night, and 1t was three months before l was able to walk as stoutIv as when I commenced that