The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1913-07-29
over A PREc|P|cE
Climax to the Reckless Ride Of
a Fearless Horseman.
HIS WILD LEAP IN THE DARK.

EDGE Of Sheer Cliff TO a Fall Of Two
Hundred and Fifty Feet to the Rocks
snd Water Below, Yet the Man Lived.
Perhaps the most extraordinary fall
that a human being ever survived Is
that described by Thormanby In his
sporting Stories" The lucky man
was Colonel William Yorke Moore, a
British officer. who rode his horse In
the dark over q sheer precipice 247
feet in height and came out alive! 1t
seems incredible that such fearful
experience should result in anything
but instant death. yet here are the
facts. which once again confirm the
adage that truth is more wonderful
than fiction:
Colonel Moore. who commanded the
troops ut Dominica. lost his way one
evening after sunset In complete
darkness he endeavored to make his
way home. Two or three times he
had difficulty In making his horse
cross obstacles, and at last they came
to something that the horse would not
face.
Colonel Moore was fearless rider
Again and again he rode his horse Mt
full speed against the unknown obsta-
Gle. but in vain. At last, urged fierce
" by whip and spur, the terrified ami
mai. with a snort Of terror, cleared the
low hedge-for such the obstruction
proved to be-and went over the cliff.
Colonel Moore says that during his
flight on horseback through the air
every event Of his whole life seemed
to pass in luminous panorama be-
fore him. Suddenly there came ter.
rife concussion. which deprived him
Of his senses and left him with his
legs In the sen and his body on the
rocks. apparently dead.
He must have lain there stunned for
some hours. for when at last the lap
ping water and the cool breezes restor.
ed him the moon was shining brightly
in midheaven. and its beams fell upon
the upturned. glittering shoes Of his
gallant horse. which lay dead and
mangled beside him.
AS soon as he had collected his scat
tered wits Colonel Moore c0Olly began
to examine himself to ascertain what
injuries he had sustained He found
that he was severely cut about the
body and head. that his right ankle
was dislocated and that his back was
benumbcd or paralyxed by the concus-
sion OF his fall.
When the sun rose II shone upon his
bare bleeding head with such intol.
erable heat that. as a protection from
its rays, he tied his cotton handker-
chief about his forehead. Above his
head projected the two ends Of the
knotted bandage stained crimson with
his blood.
After lying in horrible pain for sew.
eral hours he spied bOatful Of ma.
tives rowing toward the spot where he
lay. As they came near he hailed
them In faint voice. but the mo.
ment they saw the ghastly figure Of
the colonel. with his bloody headdress
they set up yell and rowed away aa
II 10000 fiends were after them.
After some time single black mar
came clainbering over the rocks, In
tent on catching fish, He was within
few yards Of the colonel when the
latter hailed him. The moment the ne
gro caught sight Of the bleeding head
aud the blood stained bandage he. too
uttered a fearful yell. flung down his
rOd and limo md scraInhled nm Ova,
the rocks as fast as his feet and handi
would carry him.
The colonel now began to resign him
self to the prospect Of lingering
death. but Fortunately his Englisl
servant. alarmed mt his masters alb
sence, went In search Of him and. fol
lowing the horses tracks. at last cam,
to the edge OF the precipice.
The sudden disappearance Of tn
hOOf prints near the low hedge fenc,
convinced him that an accident hat
happened. He ran to the barracks AM
got ont boat. which a party Of sOl
diers rowed to the foot Of the clio.
! Very tenderly and carefully the sol
diers lifted the colonel into the boa
and brought him back to the barracks
For some months he lay In great pail
and danger. but In time the paralyxe'
muscles Of his back recovered. an
eventually he was restored to complet
health Not even the slightest toucl
Of lameness remained to remind hin
Of his fall.