The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1911-12-08

- e"ot IaS 1dE pelOW. IN OOkill2
downward ! caugh. sight of the mar.
row ledge On which l had rested Coins
down. n l resolved I descend there
again. for i was only playing Win
death by remaining with all my weigh,
on the rope. and l know that at any
moment my imaginings might become
a dreadful reality. Very slowly and
carefully. therefore. I climbed down
%aro. easing the strain on the rope
ioothold. More than once Thought
l 1elt IT giving way and gave myself
up as lost. The cold. clammy sweat of
e lay heavy on my brow and I
prayed ~fervently that l might reach
the ledge in safety.
suppose the descent really occu.
pleo only a few minutes, but it seemed
an eternity to me as l went inch by
inch downward. my bleeding feet
bl.nai! cropping for a foothold. my
heart nearly stilled with terror. Al
last, after what seemed to me ages Of
agony. reached the ledge. Never did
a Wear and failing swimmer grasp a
noating spar with more thankfulness
than l felt on finding that friendly
iedse beneath my feet. My position,
however. was only a little better than
before, for the ledge Just AFFORDED
standlng room. being a little less than
! was dlIllOS dIIdlO
to shift my position. for I stood fac
ing the clin. and in turning round 1
feared / might overbalance myself.
My nerves seemed to have been com.
pleteiy unstrung by my fright, and I
looked down with horror at the sea
and the sunken rocks that lay below.
sun. ! felt very grateful that my
body was not now floating out
70 sea TO provide food for the sun
fishes. However. I was not as yet in
a Very comfortable position, being on
one OF the loneliest spots in the Aran
Islands. with nc human h%abitation
within miles of me. and there was on.
~ a very poor chance OF any one pass
Ing that way before nightfall. Per.
maps. even. they might not come for
days or weeks. The season for taking
rock birds would not open for another
tnree weeks or SO. and very few trou-
nleo at all to take them now. Fishing
from the Cliffs, too. would not COM
mence for another month. and, more
over, few people ever fished from this
e!ih, as 1t was TOO high and TOO much
out of the way. Ny plight was. in
deed. a desperate one. No one knew
where l had gone, and the only per-
son VINO could Civ a guess as to my
whereabouts was the chum who had
told me about the eggs.
called aloud several times, but
there was no answer save the echoes
Of my voice from the rock around.
mad now TO shift my position, for
standing like a statue in one posture
for any length Of time is very irksome.
With difficulty l turned round and
rested my back against the cliff, hold
ing on to the rope with one hand.
Often and often did 1 gaze up at the
top Of the Cliff in the hope Of seeing
a friendly face looking over, but, al
though l looked, l did moi really ex-
pect to see any one I scanned the
wide eSpanse of sea beneath me. blu,
there was not a boat or a coracle to
be seen as far as the eye could reach
Several times I resolved to trus, ms
from my horrible prison. but the sigh,
OF the broken strands deferred me.
Hour followed hour, the sun sank
slowly toward the western horizon and
my heart was fast sinking with it. The
eternal splash of the waves and the
discordant cries Of the sea birds were
growing terribly monotonous. The
evening shadows was falling fast and
the air had become somewhat chilly
for l a neither coat nor vest. / be.
gan to feel pretty hungry also. for ]
had had nothing to eat snce morning
and the exercise / had undergone, the
bracing sea breeze and the sight OF
the salt. heaving sea had sharpened
my appetite to an incredible degree
The sea birds were coming home
sometimes one by one. sometimes In
focks. and as they sailed far above
me. now swooptng. now soaring. the.
seemed to be examining me. / sun
pose in their way they felt indignant
at my invasion OF their domain.
Darkness fell and the air grew cold.
er and colder. while my hunger be.
came keener and keener. The sea
breeze pierced me to the Wy marrow,
and ] shivered IS II I had ague
This cannot go on much longer"
shall become Worn out from fatigu.
and fall"
l. therefore. resolved to sit down
and. holding tightly to the rope Will
one hand and to the ledge with tn.
other. I put my legs over the ledge
The seat was rather narrow. and tn,
clin face. against which 1 rested m,
back. not altogether ever enough fol
comfort. Still. 1t was a luxury wher
compared with my former position ant
gave immense relief to the muscles O
my legs. / put my hand into m,
trousers pocket and. pulling out /
lump of tobacco. bit a chew off in or
der to deaden the pangs OF hunger
which we're each moment growing
struck me: What II should TAI
asleep in my present position and droI
into the seat The idea terrified me
and l resolved to keep myself awak,
at all hazards.
All the birds had gone to roost, ane
not a sound was to be heard but tn,
monotonous wash OF the waves below
and the low signing Of the wind. Houl
followed hour. and still sat watch
ing and waiting. Sometimes / survey
ed tho cloud-f1ecked sky, with IL
myrtads OF twinkling stars; sometime,
! looked up hopelessly at the wall O