The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1919-07-31
faeyssM. 1919. BY NaSss8


It was severe work even for a man as
powerful as was John yet foot by foot
the senseless one was hauled aloft un-
til the fingers of the rescueI sank in
his collar. Then bracine himself for
a final effort, Davis dragged him bodi-
ly ovel the edge and stretched him out
beyond the reach of danger. Cutting
the rope free from the others body,
John tossed the loose end back over
the edge, then turned to make closer
inspection of the injured man. The
eyes of Morgan were closed, his cloth
ing torn to rags and his cheeks lacer-
ated and bloody.
From a distance the Spider, who had
witnessed it all, came running toward
the pair at top speed. Arriving within
hailing distance he raised his voice
in a shout. Hearing the voice of the
approaching one and not knowing who
was coming or what new danger
threatened, John sprang to his feet and
made grab for his rifle. A stone roll
ing from beneath him at that moment,
he lost his balance and went over the
cliff.
Instinctively his hand flew out, his
fingers clutching the edge Of the cliff,
he hung suspended over the rocks far
below. Desperately he tried to raise
himself above the edge Of the cliff and
might have succeeded had his hand
hold not proven false. But as he ele-
waited his head to a point where he;
could see over the top, the rock began
to crumble In his grasp and slowly but
surely he felt his fingers begin to slip.
Realizing the folly Of attempting to
draw himself further. up with so
treacherous hand hold to depend up
on, he again lowered himself to full
arms length and hung Imply.
He turned his head over his shoul-
der and looked. Below him was the
dizzy height through which he must
fall before he would land a mangled
mass upon the granite teeth below.
Afar above him in the sky dim specks
were circling, and he shuddered as he
thought Of himself lying beneath their
talons and beaks, even though death
had robbed him of all consciousness.
The thought gave him new strength.
Casting his eye little further along
the edge Of the cliff, he saw the rope
dangling over it's edge where he had
carelessly tossed it after releasing
Morgan's body from one end. The up
per end was still fastened to the rock
as it had been attached by the Spider
when he lowered the Hawk over, and
could he reach it, frayed though It:
was, there was chance that it would
support him and that by means of it
he could hoist himself up over the Lip.
Slowly he began working himself side
ways toward it. :
He reached it and clutched it with
the grasp with which a drowning man
clings to a straw. Had he been fresh
he would have been able to pull him.
self up without any particular diff
Guilty, but he had been hanging so long
and so desperately to the edge Of the
rock with the tips of his fingers that
those members had become eramped
and stiffened, and instead of clutching
the swaying rope with a grip that
would sustain his weight they closed
around it but loosely. Slowly, surely,
gaining speed with each instant he be-
gan to slip down the rope-down to
it's lose swinging end from which he,
must make his last drop to the rocks
upon which the vultures he had slain
now lay.
Faster and faster grew his descent
until the friction Of the rough fibre OF
which the rope was made scorched and
blistered his hands. Yet mindless Of
the pain of it he clung on as best he
could, knowing that the end was now
but few seconds away. And that he
did not give way to despair and loosen
his hold served for the moment to
save his life, for the rope in falling
over the edge had formed loose KnOT
at it's lower end, and as the descending
mans hands struck this his fall was
checked and he hung at full length
from the tip of the rope.
For a moment he swayed there, half
dead with the nervous strain and ter
ribly shaken from it all. Then know
ing he must regain the length Of the
rope quickly if at all, he began jerk
ing and clutching as he strove to raise
himself hand over hand to the edge
of the rocks so many feet above. Tired
though he was from his efforts, the
knowledge that his life was hanging
by hair gave him renewed strength,
and foot by foot he fought his way
upward. Already he had half regain.