Year: 1877

the loop where his ankle was caught ;
and at last he hung there, swinging
gently to and fro, only moving his
hands.


By this time Parson, I, and two more
had got to the belfry door, and we ran
painting up the dark staircase till we got
upon the leads.


"Hsld on, joey" I shouted. "1'm
coming"


"Make haste" he cried back. "I'm
about DONE"


By this time was about ten feet up,
and climbing as hard as I could, for
getting all the danger in the excitement;
for don't think I should have dared to
60 up on another occasion.


"Look sharp" said poor joey. T." 1t
seems as if ali my blood was rushing into
my head.


leaned over and got hold of the rope
close to his ankle, but do anything more
T could not. I had all the will in the
world to help the poor fellow, but it
took all my strength to keep myself from
falling, and as to raising my old COM
panion, I neither had the strength nor
the idea as to how it could be doIe.
The only way out of the difficulty
seemed to be to take out my knife and
cut the rope and then the poor fellow
would be killed.


"Come down p cried voice below
me.


And looking toward the leads, there
was Parson stripped to the shirt and
trowsers, and with coil OF rope over
his shoulder-for the new well rope had
proved to be long enough to let him cut
off some five and thirty feet.


"Don't leave me-" groaned Joey, who
was half fainting. 81 feel as if 1 should
fall any minute. I say, lad, this is very
awful"


"Here is Parson coming up" l said.


And 30 it was, for he went to the row
of crochets on the other side of Joey,
who now hung looking blue in the face,
and with his eyes closed.


"He 1ust make haste-make haste, "
he moaned softly.


I stopped holding on, while Parson
climbed up quicker than either of us
had done it, drawing himself up by his
arms in wonderful way until he was
abreast of us two-me holding on and
Joey hanging on by one foot.
As soon as Parson reached us, he said
few words of encouragement to Joey
who did not say word, and then climb
ing higher, tied the short rope he car
ried, to the long rope just above the loop
knot which held Joey's ankle. Then,
coming down little, he tied his rope
tightly around joey just under the arm
pits.


"That will bear you, my lad. But
catch fast hold of it with your hands,
while I cut your foot free"


Climbing up higher once more, he pull
ed out his knife, opened it with his
teeth, and then began to saw throug h
strands of the loops that held joey
ankle, until there was snap, o jerk,
and heavy swinging to and fro, for the
poor fellow had fallen two or three feet,
and was now hanging by the rope round
his breast, right way upwards.
He did not make any effort for few
minutes, as cheer after cheer came to rs
from below, he swung there, with us
holding on for dear life.


"Can you climb down new, Rance, I"
said Parson, elf cut you free?'


"No, sir" he said hoarsely. GIVE no
use in my arms or legs-they're all pins
and needles"


"Then we must lower you down." said
Parson, calmly.


And getting hold of the long piece of
rope, he climbed up once more, as
coolly as if he was on an apple tree in
his own orchard, and saw that the knots
we're fast; then, coming down, he passed
the long rope through the one round
Joey's breast, and tied it again round
him.


"Now." he said, Fincher and I will
hold on by this rope, you can let him
work it over his head, and then, with
Parson striding across from the crochets
at one angle to those on the other, and
me holding on the rope as well, we let
him down sliding, with his back to the
stone till his feet touched the leads, when
he fell down all of heap.


"Untie the rope" said Parson, "and
get him down."
He spoke very hoarsely, shouting to
them below; and cheer came up.


Now, Fincher," said Parson, "we've
got to get down"


As he spoke, he made running n ,ose
in the rope with the end he held in his
hand, let it run up to the big moose, and
pulled it tight.


! Then he made an effort to get his legs
together on one angle; bat the distance
he had been bending was too great, and
he couldn't recover himself, swung
away by his hands.


II can't help it, Fincher- must go
first" he cried.


And he was already sliding down the
rope as he spoke; but I was so unnerved
and giddy now that I dared not look
down.


believe quite lost my head then for
a few moments; for was clinging there
for life hundred and twenty feet above
the ground, and the wind seemed to be
trying to push me from my mold.
I was brought to myself, though, just
as the landscape about me seemed to be
spinning round, by feeling the rope
touch my side; and I clasped it convul-
sively with both hands, and then, wind
ing my legs round it, slid rapidly down,
the rope seeming to turn to fire as it
passed through my hands.


A few moments later, and I was safe
on the tower leads, trying like the rest
to smile at the danger we had passed
through but it was faint, sickly
kind of smile, and we were all very