Morris tribune., 1908-11-21
ALL FOR "A WAGER

was famDllng down Ii street, near
Russell 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 his COM
mission" We were all athletes.
As we sauntered pleasantly along,
rapt in conversation on the mysteries
| of gymnastics, we approached ladder
which was fixed to a four story house.
How little we think Of the heroism
! Of hodmen.' exclaimed Palgrave. st
would rather face dragon armed to
the teeth than walk to the top of that
ladder
"Poohv' said |. you must be j0k-
ing. ! see the feat performed every
day by fellows whom you or | could
pound into mummy, and, what is more,
they carry on their business as leisure
! " forty or fifty feet high as if they
were paving roads"
"Yet will lay an even bet of f5 that
you won't do it." retorted Palgrave
coolly.
"Done" I replied.
AS the house was untenanted and
| the laborers were absent, there seemed
no impediment in the way.
"Hold.'' cried Hewitson, who began
to feel that a very serious responsible
ity might devolve 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 leasty'
"There is very serious difference,
let me tell you, between fifteen feet
and forty-ive." continued HeWitson,
looking anxiously 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
look closely into the expression of your
eyes, would strongly recommend You
to stick closely to terra firma."
II will cheerfully cancel the agree
ment if you like" said the generous
Palgrave.
Nonsense, man! l am afraid you're
funking, Frank. Five pounds is good
deal of money to lose in five minutes,
but I'll punish you for daring to ques-
tion my courage. Goodby, old felloww
I had arrived about twenty feet on
my ethereal road when I first became
conscious of strange feeling.
tried to laugh at my own apprehen-
sions
Another step-another-anot
those words of Hewitson's!
''It was only last week we had ter
rible accident at Guys. resulting from
vertigo" now rang in my ears with a
fearful meaning.
Another step! The cold perspiration
broke out on my forehead, my knees
trembled, and my teeth chattered An
other step. took it mechanically. Oh.
heavens. what 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 conyulsively; 1
could hear the very palpitations Of my
heart. ! had arrived on level with
the window. but it was two feet dis
tant from me- and the attempt to pass
that Insignificant space must be GER
tain death
The day had hitherto been breath
lessly calm: now, with the suddenness
Of our variable climate, it began to
blow strongly Marvellous to relate.
this very circumstance gave me imme-
diate relief and was, I think, the prin-
cipal agent in saving my life.
AS | had this fresh real danger to
encounter shook off the terFors of
many that were really imaginary The
descent to earth must be accomplished.
So. setting my teeth firmly and fixing
my eyes with dull, rigid. desperate
stare ON the brick wall before me,
retrograded one step with knocking
knees and then. with equal care. an
other.
By practice the retrogfade move
ment became easy l found it easy to
withdraw my mind from vague, imag-
mary horrors and to fix my whole
care on self preservation.
Another step-another-anoth Oh,
glorious. l could look down now with
something like composure and smiled.
Another and another! Sweetest music
that ever. ever fell upon my ear, |
could at last distinctly hear the voices
of my two friends. around whom
crowd had gathered
Bravo. By Jove, 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
journey with ease. Hewitson and Pal
grave, who had been nearly as much
as myself, were shocked at
my CHASTITY naleness. They said l re-
sembled a risen corpse The good ma
tured fellows had cab and a flask Of
brandy in attendance. l was put into
the cab and the brandy was put into
me.
But | was pronounced in a danger
Gus fever that night. and 1t was three
ho hnfnra I oh 10 to-