Year: 1860

Students Adventure at CarricI-a- Rede.


County Antrim.


Some ten years ago | spent the long yaca.
ton ON the north west of Antrim somewhat
disappointed with early failures and with my.
self, l affected the solitary | tried hard At
twenty TO get up the then impossible charac-
ter OF foolish, DID, misanthropcal Timon
soon, however, discovered the unpeasanlnest
and lmpraclicabillty of this. The wild prcci
plces and mountains Of the grand coast eyor-
cised my demon, and the limitless full Allan.
TIC beating restlessly on its iron bounds, reused
me to action. Presently l dropped into the
donSs and crafts OF the rough fishermen and
cragsmen OF the neighborhood, and soon gain.
ed their hearts by some Unusual ,teats, | ac
quired the high character ot'beng':'a gay ven
tufsome lad'-no unworthy fame.


My rather confident address and courage,
such as they We're, underwent Il peculiar
trial when and as | least expected
was living in the vicinity of the celebrated
swinging bridge, Carrick-a.rede. The troops
OF tourists visiting it reminded me of the world
from which | was, after all, | fear, an unwil-
ling exile. The danger of crossing the bridge
with my dog and gun afforded some excite
A7eesHt. The glorious views Of shore, sea, a; d
isles delighted me; the deep messy heather
on the hCadandS made luxurious couch for
doing upon under the summer sun.


One day from my tavorite cyre | had watch
ed gay party descending the slope to the
bridge mixing and changing the colors as they
went, like the view in a Kaleidoscope. |
could distinguish laughter and sweet voices
pleasantly ringing out; and confess it needed
the solace OF my tavorite book and all my ior-
tltade to render me contented in my solitude
up among the sea gulls.


had resumed my lost place and stretched
myself very comfortably on the moss of my
tail out standing, piIlar-like cliff, when sudden.
lymy dog, TassO rushed close to me, and fixed
his big, dark eyes anxiously in the direction
OF the bridge. We both Jrembled at that mo-
ment, for piercing scream smote us. The
sea birds darted out from the rock face, and
after short silent flight outward, cried at
their shrillest and loudest. Could / be de-
ceved! 1t was surely human! Another
scream if possible more intensely painful. 1t
was woman's voice


"Can it be, | thought, ''some of them over
the cliff"


Graspmg my gun, l rushed down the hill as
men only run to save life. Again and again,
as | flew over the broken ground, felt the
same bitter cry striking, as it seemed, into my
very heart. A few bounds over the slippery
sea grass along the edge OF the precipice, and
stood at the head of the ladder which leads
down to the swinging bridge.


Heavens what sight


Right in the midst of it was a young, fair.
haired girl. With her two small white hands
she desperately clutched the slender cord
which the fishermen use as a balance or guide
the pressure of her whole weighs drove it out
from the floating strip of boards on which
she stood. Sometimes with her lans stretch.
ed out she swayed, face downwards, over the
abyss, with its white raging waves Il hundred
feet below; sometimes the wind and the dou
Bile oscillation laid her backwards, with her
hands clenched upon that worthless cord, and
her pale, sharp face sraining upwards, as her
long hair, streamed out, pointing down to the
sea. The bridge itself was shaking and sway
ing, 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 oil rock beneath the ladder
stood the rest of the party, each in different
attitude of silent Mortified expectancy, incapa-
bile Of the slightest attempt at rescue.


AT glance this ntver-to-be 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 double motion the ropes shook and
were depressed, SO that l could scarcely walk ;
the ratuS on which the tuot-boards lie
strained to the utmost i'll sharp angles clearly
marked against the rushing white and green
underneath


There was no time to think or pause. With
rapid strides | came on. | could hear her
praying now. But | also she was fast
losing her consciousness her courage and
strength had given way under the reaction OF
hope; she was about to faint. l measured the
terrible vacancy into which she was about to
fall headong. | was prepared to abide the
desperate plunge the bridge would give the
moment she dropped.


In the last extremity of fear and hope, l
shouted in a voice that stirred my own heart
too


Courage, brave girl; courage for one mo-
ment more


Just then l was within six feet of her, stand
ing OH six inches wide of a deal plank that
ben! like whalebone, my only hold the loose
swinging cord from rock TO rock across the
gulf, below a black walled chasm OF rugged
rocks, with dizzy whirl of roaring foam be-
tween them. Judge, then, my dismay and
astonishment when | saw this girl as | spoke,
leave hold Of the hand rope, and walk unas,
sisted towards me along that narrow, shaking
path hung out i'll air | could not credit my
senses !; it was unheard of; it was too daring
it was mpossibls for any human being. Be
fore | could recover or decide how to act, she
had flung herself upon me, her arms about my
neck, and her whole weight resting upon me
like lead | could scarcely retain my balance,
and could not attempt to relieve myself. |
felt she was about to faint; | felt, for from her
position l could see; [ knew 10 human power
gould save us II she uld. Moved, then, by my
own life as well 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 ost!''


The effect was wonderful. Bravely the poor
young traiI creature fought with her weakness,
beating back the taintness there on that thin
quaking plank, with the fierce eddies rushing
far below, and their hoarse voices filling the
wide air about us only my arm round her
waist to stay her against the swaying ropes
'mr-saHeath.


"Now, are you ready to try it 2"


81 am ready" said the brave girl.


Gently and gradually | loosed her hold OF
my neck and arms; put the hand rope into
her grasp, with directions to let it slip through
her hand, merely resting on it as she walked,
and with her lett hand clasped in my left,
which was stretched ont behind for her hold,
inch by inch and foot by foot, without single
sigh or futter, she reached the platform,
where her friends stood like statues, waiting
us in breathess awe.


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


Whenever symptoms of recovery began tc