The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-03-18
CLIMBING--AND CLIMBING

, they enjoyed to the full the fame their
exploit brought.
They all attended the first picnic Of
the year on Snake Island. SO called
because OF its peculiar shape and the
fact that 1t terminated In blum two
hundred feet high which looked like
the uplifted head Of q serpent The
island was In Silver Lake, perhaps q
mile from shore.
The boat lending was on q narrow
strip Of beach beneath the head Of
| the serpent To get to the top of
| the biun 1t was necessary to walk for
q thousand yards along the beach to
spot where the precipice began to
subside and a path wound upward.
| The day was beautiful with all the
warmth OF summer. When the dozen
young people reached the top they
sat down on the new grass to rest
after the climb. and to enjoy the
sweep of sparkling water and wooded
shore spread out before them.
A sudden scream of fear cut
through their light-hearted CONVEX
sation and brought them to the edge
OF the blur. Below on the beach was
sight that for the moment struck
them dumb with horror.
Two Of their party, Mr.. and Mrs.
Dan Pomeroy. had just landed and
I
/ Of other small craft Barely had they
stepped ashore when the hugh, black
bearded figure of q man darted from
a clump Of underbrush with club up
raised. Mrs. Pomeroy had screamed
at sight of him
| The group above saw the next act
In the tragedy. Pomeroy advanced
| bravely, but the club swept down
ward through the guard OF hts arms
and struck him on the head. He
dropped and shrek On shrek burst
from his wife.
That's the maniac who nearly kill
ed his keeper at Fairview Asylum yes
terday and got away, They telephon-
ed me his description" gasped Pat
tsrson. editor OF the village paper.
"Oh, what shall we dol" raoaned
Jessie Dane. Sec he's goin&4o grab
Edna." She turned to the wfite-faced
young men. "Oh, run. rum!
Peter Price slipped of hts coat and
shoes, mo time" he said swiftly.
'.she'd be killed before we could get
down the path. I'm going this way"
He stepped down onto a ledge OF rock
on the perpendicular face OF the clin.
Living foot had never pressed the
face OF Snake Island cliff before II
seemed . sheer drop of ten score Feet
from tho grass roots to tns saho.
But there were lodges and shelves
which furnished handgrips ana ioot-
holds, however precartoua
| Price worked his way downward
He dared not look. for when he oid
his head swan dtxzily. He CROPPED
within his feet. already stocktngless.
torn and bleeding from the Jagged
rock. and found support somehow.
Hand under hand he crawled over
the flint as q fiy crawls on the sue
of the house
he was careful--but not too care
ful. For too much care meant oe.A.
And Edna Pomeroy's screams even
now echoed pitifuliy az she struggled
In the madman's claSp.
Once he lost his hold and fell Tor
a yard or more; fingers and toes
suread taion-nke, rasped over she
msroiless rock. Peter Price reverted
to tyne, went back ten thousand years
in the flicker OF an eyeiasn. once
again he was O man rnonkey VINO Hmo
missed O waving branch In the n,sn,
wav OF the trees. His fingers hAo
eyes In them: his toes ciutcneo "i1''
fierce suppleness.
He found crevfces no wfder tHan
the bridge Of his nose, and ciampea
onto them. Snpped--caugnt: ana
ci,n~ again. The fall was stopped
Ne climbed. with no time TO De
thankful for his escape.
The picnickers. struggling. soooins
land painting. reached the beach. ineS
found Peter tying the subdoed manic
with q painter from one OF sne ooA.s
nan pomeroy was having his throo'
bing head: his wife was CRYING Q
| a,tia hut quite catm--consioering
her experiance-and wholly an'
harmed.
Jessie Dane went straight to Peter
and took both his SCARED hands III
I.her own.
BE careful Jessie: they're bleed
|, ing. You'll get all stained up. ne
tried to speak In his old mattei-oi'
fact way. but his voice tremoieo.
i. 81 don't care" she said, and hei
ewes shone with a light that daIzled
. IT don't care. For you are sal q
Peter--dear!"