Year: 1861

white hands she desperately clutched the
slender cord which the fishermen used as
balance or guide; the pressure of her
whole weight drove it out from the float
ing strip of boards on which she stood.
Sometimes with her hands stretched out,
she sWayed, face downwards, over the
abyss, with its white raging waves hun
dred feet below, sometimes the wind and
the double oscillation laid her backwards
with her hands clenched upon that worth
less cord, and her pale, sharp face strain
ing upwards, as her long hair streamed,
pointing down to the sea- The Brio ge
itself was shaking and swaying giving
forth that clank and moan peculiar to it
in storms, wreathing about like some SER
pent struggling with the poor girls efforts.
On the platform of rock beneath the lad
der stood the rest of the party, each in
an attitude of silent, horrifed expectancy,
incapable of the slightest attempt at
rescue.


At glance this never to forgotten
scene was all understood. Another
scream, another look of wild, appealing
despair from the poor girl, and | was out
upon the narrow plank. Under the doub-
lie motion the ropes shook and were de-
pressed so that [ could scarcely walk.


There was no time to think or pause
With rapid strides ! came on. | could
hear her praying now But saw, also,
that she was fast losing her consciousness !;
her courage and strength had given way
under the reaction of hope; she was about
to faint. [ measured the terrible vacan.
cY into which she was about to fall head
long. | was prepared to abide the des-
perate plunge the bridge would give the
moment that she dropped.


In the last extremity Of fear and hope,
| shouted in a voice that stirred nv own
heart too:


Courage, brave girl: courage for one
moment more"


Just then [ was within six feet of her,
standing on six inches wide of a deal plank
that bent like whalebone, my only hold
was the loose cord swinging from rock to
rock across the gulf, below black walled
chasm of rugged rocks, with dizzy whirl
Of roaring foam between them. Judge,
then, my dismay and astonishment, when
saw this girl, as | spoke. leave hold of
the hand rope, and walk unassisted to-
ward NE along that narrow, shaking path
hung out in air. | could not credit my
senses. it was unheard of; it was too dar-
ing; it was impossible for any human
being. Before | could recover or decide
how to act, she flung herself upon ne,
her arms about my neck, and her whole
weight resting upon me like lead; [
scarcely retained my balance, and | could
not attempt to relieve myself I felt she
was about to faint: felt this, for from
her position [ could not see; [ knew no
human power could save US if she did.
Moved, then, by my own life as we'll as
hers, | whispered in that stern, strange,
inward tone which arises in the extreme
of anxiety or peril:


If you faint or give way We are both
lost !"


The effect was wonderful, Bravelq the
poor, young, frail creature fought with
her weakness, beating back the faintness
there on that thin, quaking plank, with
the fierce eddies running far below, and
their hoarse voices filing the wide air
below Us with only one arm about her
waist to stay her against the swaying
ropes beneath.


NoT, are you ready to try it?"


!" am ready" said the brave girl


Gently, aud gradually loosened her
hold of my neck and arms; I put the
hand rope in her grasp, with directions
to let it slip through her hand merely
resting on it as she walked, and with her
left hand clasped in my left, which was
stretched out behind for her to hold, inch
by inch and foot by foot, without a sigh
or futter, she reached the platform, where
her friends stood like statues, waiting US
IN bre1thess awe


| had only time to lift her from the
bridge when she gave way in earnest,
and for long time she lay pale and rigid
as a drowned corpse, on the black rocks.


When symptoms of recovery began to
appear, her friends were profuse in their
acknowledgements one old gentleman
the 2oater .tonsi1tas, supposed-eyeing
my rough shooting coat and worn leggings,
began something about any remunera.
tion | could fairly ASK fumbling at the
same time in his pocket | fear [ con.
signed him rather abruptly to the tender
care of certain uncomfortable parsonage,
and in great dudgeon with what | con-
ceived an insult, | called old Tasso from
admiring and nosing about the young
girl J. had assisted, aud stumping up the |
ladder with him in my arms, (he could
never climb up though he always got