The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1909-04-23

| SoliulN III Il lnIee-loOt nole, WHlcn nau
been literally drilled In the rock. and |
had no thought OF 1t breaking. Catch.
Ing the wire across my biceps and
chest, | mounted quickly. AS | climbed
noticed that the grain OF the pole
ran in long spiral and that the sun
checks We're unusually open and eX-
tended | glanced down at Buckle. He
was standing between the base OF the
pole and the edge of the preeiEice, a
watchful, uneasy look in his face The
hollow roar of the Trinity came up
seemingly from beneath my very feet.
Reaching the top | kicked the climber
spur OF my right foot into the wood,
threw my left leg around the pole.
and, mailing on the bracket placed the
wire In the insulatog groove. The
pol leaned strongly toward the preci,
pice, and | slipped round on the land
side of it and lifted myself with my
| breast above its top, so that | might
the more easily make the tie" Slip.
ping the Ratchet handle into my belt
and drawing pliers and a tie-wlra
from the strap. | shouted: Pull
ahead" Apparently the unseen reel
men could not hear on account Ct the
noise of the river, so | shook the wire
and they began taking up the slack,
moving backward down the slope and
leaning against their pulling straps. AS
the wire came taut the pole BEGAN to
straighten with the pressure. for the
men We're around the point and were
pulling against the lean of the role |
shouted for them to let up" but they
could not hear, At that instant / saw,
not ten feet from me. "kink" In the
wire, and sudden thrill of, fear shot
through my heart. Only a linenan
could appreciate what this meant nj
that moment, for the long spruce pole
was being pulled back not unlike a
mighty bow ready to launch an ar.
row. | was the arrow and the boiling
Trinity, 100 feet below. was the target
at which ! was to be shot. The wire
was number eight, galvanized. but a
perfect "kink'' is simply hoop drawn
down to point, which. when sufficient
pun is applied, sewers the wire like a
knife.
mstinctively clutched the top OF
the pole with my right hand and
pulled the wire toward the kink with
my left to ease" il, shouting like mad.
| heard Red Buckle give mlghty-yell.
but at that instant the wire, drawn
like a tense bow-string, snapped at the
kink and the pole shot back toward
the precipice and, under the shock Of
recoil and my weight, split at the
base.
Red Buckle leaped against IL with
his breast and shoulder and pinlonai
II in his arms while /, thrown over
and around the top, found myself
hanging above the Trinity with 100
feet Of air beneath me and my belt
caught over the point OF the bracket!
| heard Buckles bones crack and felt
a tremor come up the senseess wood
from his mighty muscles.
Slide down Slide down." heard
him shout, But could not for | was
hanging from the bracket on the under
side of the tip of the pole 4 prong
OF the broken base of the pole re.
manned In the hole in the ground. |
threw my glance about, and, | remem.
II. and saw Buckles knotted hands.
white with pressure, his frm-set feet
grinding into the stones, his wide
shoulders quiyering, his dark. bent
head and purple swelling neck. aud
heard sharp gasps of breath coming
thrpnph his pyipIsnu N
trying to straighten the pole, but could
not. My body, hanging 20 fe. I away
at the tip OF the mast.like piece of
timber, was a frightful burden. Death
for me was only breath away save
for his herculean strength In the
black terror that rushed upon me
threw my glance about, and lemem-
Der, the tops OF the mountains seemed
TO fall toward me and the sky seemed
to turn dark and close down upon me
like falling tent of night. The gush-
ing roar Of the river at the bottom Of
the abyss arose to a wild clamor in nv
ears, then suddenly fell TO train OF
odd whisperings.
When | got my senses back | was
lying on the rocky bench. The reel
men were standing beside me. Buckle
was dropping against the uprising
swell of the mountain-wall, white.
faced and laboring for breath. We
looked at each other and for the first
time during our intercourse his power
full features rippled with a smile. |
got up weakly and grasped his hand,
Red Buckle, said, ito me you are
the greatest of all Indians and tho
greatest of all white men. II | had a
crown I'D put it on your head"
His lips trcmbled and he gripped my
hand a moment, then. wavering slight
Iy, lie walked away.
The accident occurred near sun.
down. and. my ncrs IS being badly
shaken, we went inlo camp. Buckle
was pale and quiet during tie even
ing, and the next morning disappeared.
Later I found he had gone to see a
loctor In a neighboring lumber camn.
also discovered what he had tried 10
keep from me, that his collarbone was
broken by the pressure of the pole rs
hal mo harl,