American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1917-06-19

AS the yard was lowered. this was a
short climb, and he swung himself up
ward to the weather yardarm, where
he rolled up n side of the sail with
~extravagant waste Of muscular effort.
for she had said he was not a man.
and he had proved her wrong. He
had conquered himself. and lie had
conquered her.
He hitched the gasket and crossed
over to the lee side, forgetting in his
exhilaration the object Of the spun
yarn in his pocket and the marline-
spike hung from his neck, stepped out
on the foot rope, passed his hands
along the jackstay to pull himself far
ther and felt the foot rope sink to the
sound Of swapping strands. The jack
stay was torn from his grasp. and he
fell face downward into the black void
beneath.
An involuntary shrek began on his
lips, but was not finished. He felt
that the last atom Of air was Jared
from his lungs by what he knew was
the topgallant yard, four feet below
the royal, and, unable to hold on, with
a freezing cold In his veins and at the
hair roots. he experienced In its full
ness the terrible sensation Of falling
whirling dOwnward-clutching wildly
ut vacancy with stiffened fingers.
The first horror past. his mind took
on a strange contemplativeness Fear
Of death gave way to mild curiosity as
to the manner Of it. Would he strike
on the lee quarter. or would he 60
overheard? And might he not catch
something? There was rigging below
him. The lee royal backstay stretched
farthest out from the mast, and if he
brushed 1t there was a possible chance.
He was now face upward and with
the utmost difficulty moved his eyes
he could not yet, by any exercise Of
will or muscle, move his head-and
there. almost within reach. was a dark
line, which he knew was the royal
backstay. Farther in toward the spars
was another. the topgallant backstay.
and within this two other ropes which
he knew for the topgallant rigging.
though be could see no ratlines, nor
could he distinguish the lay Of the
strands. The ropes appeared like solid
bars. This. with the fact that he was
still but a few feet below the topgal-
liant yard, surprised him. until it came
to him that falling bodies travel over
sixteen feet in the first second of de-
scent, which Is at a rate too fast for
distinct vision, ana that the apparent
slowness Of his falling was but rela
tive, because of the quickness Of his
mind, which could not wait on a slug
gish optic nerve and more sluggish
rctina.
Yet he wondered why he could not
reach out and grasp the backstay. 1t
seemed as though invisible letters
bound every muscle and joint, though
not completely. An intense effort Of
will resulted in the slow extension of
all the fingers of his right hand and a
little strengthening of the arm toward
the backstay. but not until he had
fallen to the level of the upper topsail
yard was this result reached. 1t did
no good; the backstay was now far
Their away. AS it led in a straight line
from the royal masthead to the rail,
Ibis meant that he would fall over
board. and the thought comforted him.
The conclusion would kill him, of
course, but no self pity afflicted him
now. He merely considered that she
who had relented, would be spared
the sight Of him crushed to a pulp Oh
the deck.
As he drifted slowly down past the
expanse Of upper topsail he noticed
that his head was sinking and his body
turning so that he would ultimately
face forward. But still his arms and
legs held their extended position, like
those of a speared frog. and the
thought recalled to him an incident oi
his in%fancy-a frog hunt with an Oldel
playmate, his prOwess, success We
feet and consequent Illness. It haC
been forgotten for years, but the chair
was started and led to other memories
long dead, which rose before him. Hi
childhood passed in review, with 1T
pleasures and griefs: his school days
with their sports. conflicts, friends anC
enemies; college. where he had &C
quired the polish to make him pette'
Of all but one-and abhorrent to her
Almost every person, man or woman
boy or girl. with whom he had con
versed in his whole life came bacI
and repeated the scene. and as b
passed the lower tOpsail yard. nearl
head downward. he was mutterin
commonplaces to a brown faced. gra
eyed girl. who listened and looked hiI
through and through and seemed to b
wondering why he existed.
And as he traversed the depth Q
the lower topsail. turning gradually o
his axis, he lived it over-next to hi
first voyage, the most narrowing p'
Rod OF his life-the short two month
? during which he had striven mainly [
impress this simple natured sailor gil
with his good qualities, ending at las