Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1912-03-22

"Sittin' ON the edge O. the wood, he
gripped the bar. slowed himself round
an made as If to drop his legs through
the skylight. but all of a sudden he
stopped, an heard him gasp
"'By gum says he. an his face went
white, that's queer-that's darned
queerr
whats the matter, ClarkT said
Brady, jeerin' him. Why don't We
go down? Is it the dead men ye're
feared Of? Sure. men like them can't
hurt ye. God rest their sowls? he
added solemnly.
But Clark never needed him except
to say. I'm sorry spoke, Irish From
Brady he turned TO me.
LAY your hand alongside my leg,
will ye. Towson. an tell me what's got
me-
"Then | noticed that instead of his
feet danglin' this way an that. as
mans mostly do. they hung stiff an
cramped like.
with that | stretched my arm down,
palm out. slowly, slowly, the way I'd
seen Brady move, though for the life O.
Inc couldn't have told why. for there
was nothin to see. an. like him. went
back with a jump an yell. There.
just below the line o the frame. where
there was nothin'. nothin' at all but
clear air an sunshine. was cold
spongy cleanliness like dry, soft ice-ice
that was thin, dry jelly an that sank
under the hand like dough.
"Why don't We go down. says Bra
dy again-'why don't ye go down. ye
Yankee coward? Is it the dead you're
feared Off
THAT stung Clark. Curious. isn't it 7
Call man a cur an he grins or may
be rutfles up bit, but call him an
English cur an he'll shake the life out
O. you. To couple Yank with coward
was too much for Clark. an God keep
me from ever seem again the sight
saw then
"'Who's coward?' says he. Don't
talk so much. Irish Coward your
self, and come on If you dare All
hands below
"Grippin' the bar in front, he swung
off an let himself drop with thrust
up that partly turned him round. For
a breath he hung as IL upon nothin',
but | reckon he hadn't fairly let go the
bar when he'd have given the world
an all for fresh hold. Down he
fioundered, not straight. as a man
should, but as If he was drownin' an
drownin' in cold pitch that sucked him
in by inches. That the stuff. whatever
it was. gripped him close know, for
saw his clothes run up his leg an leave
it bare, an that he repented his fool
hardness l know, for up few one hand
to catch at the bar, up with a wild
swing an missed it, grippin 1t with his
finger nails. an out few the other,
clutchjn' at the wooden ledge. but
missed 1t too.
"'Lord. Lordr he screamed, with a
sob. THROWN his head back. Lord,
Lordr
His eyes caught mine as he went
under, though to me an Brady it was
just that his open mouth was below
the line % the skylight. But under he
was, for the scream stopped short with
choked gurgle, though his mouth
gaped an his jaw wagged.
up to that we had stood scared and
staring. but as he screamed our sense
came back, an we plunged forward.
grabbin' at his hands. But If he was
late so were we. He had slipped past
reach. an as we watched we saw him
light ON the table slowly and greasily
an paw at it vaguely with his feet.
For minute he swayed there, his big
sea boots maxim no noise on the wood
an his arms beatin' the air with
cramped jerks, like as if somethin' held
his hands. Then he staggered an
rolled sideways to the floor, where he
lay on his back. twelve feet away, CIV
in us stare for stare. an we no more
able to help him than If he was fifty
fathoms under the sea. AS many men
as you've fingers I've seen drown. but
never one like that. yet drown he did
If | know what drownin' means. God
have mercy upon him. for it was an
awful end Three great pants be gave,
pants like to split his chest; then he
| lay quiet, an as the hulk rocked to the
heave O. the swell the sunshine through
the port played backward an forward
across his face without so much as
| flaw in its light
hir,Salf tnppf hpr first
After we'd failed to catch Clark's
hands he had leaned over the skylight.
dry sobbin' an prayin' like mother
by cradle, but at last he shook him.
self as dog might comm out o water.
"Tm goiu down. Towson,' says he.
"DownY cried !. Down? Why,
| man, it's death. Do you see yonderT
".Arrah. then. have | eyes? Isn't 1t
| that that takes me down? How far
offs the table?
"'Seven feet, be it more or ess,' says
l, wonderin if had madman on my
hands next What's your notionT
".My notion is the airs froze. not
with cowld but with somethin' that
| was in what's smashed on the floor
there. My notion is the cuddy was
calked as tight as captains gig. an
when the poor divils broke whatever
it was they found sudden death, for
| the air must have gone solid in a wink.
See how they broke for the door an
missed it. That's my notion. an I'm
goin' to hack the air outen her.
"Well, sir, hack 1t out he did. but
the bottle went smash, an the bread
turned dust the minute the fresh air
struck it. So did the poor three souls.
all but their bare bones, an their
queer clothes crumbled at the touch
like burnt paper, so that all that was
left was the bit o. stuff you see in the