Year: 1879

cried. Its worth all the trouble of q
climb.


al was just about to creep up, that l
might share his qualification, when a
sudden whirring, grating, sound of
wheels above-a gasping exclamation
"a scuffling snatch with his feet at the
at the edge of the hole, and befoee ]
could move, saw tie poor fellow dis
appear rapidly through the opening,
as the rope uncoiled itself with in
creasing velocity from the winch over
head. Ii flashed across me in a mo-
ment. The handle of the winch had
boen imperfectly secured; the jerk and
the subsequent weight had overcome
the resistance, and trusting wholly to
the rope, he had slipped foom his foot
ing. But conceive my horror, when
with loud jar, the noise of the wheels
ceased, and .he rope no longer descend
ed.


Mechanically crawled up to the
edge of the hole ana leaned over, think
ing to see his crushed body in ghast-
ly heap before me.


"No, about five-and-twenty feet
down, vibrating in sheer space, was
suspended my poor friend, at height
of at least fifty feet above the stone
flooring of the nave. He was in the
very midst of the stream of light that
poured through the clerestory win
dows. In some way or another, he had
relieved the strain upon his hands, by
getting his leg over the hook at the end
of the rope. | called to him to hold
fast for while, and to keep up his
courage, but i never shall forget those
despairing eyes, nor the hoarse, agon-
izing whisper that replied:


al can't hold on, I'm numbed
Loose the winch. Be quick for Gods
sake,,'


Waiting for no further suggestion,
l rushed back again to the staircase,
and found in the darkness, almost by
intuition, the steps which led still up
wards, and fastened to mount them,
and at length breathless and gasping
emerged on the rough uneven flooring
of the higher story of the tower.
Trembling, | crept carefully forward to
the center of the space, and found the
winch standing over an opening CORES
ponding TO the one below. L eagerly
looked down, and could just see that
something was still suspended in the
now partially obscured lights. shout
again and again, words of encourage
ment and hope; but there was no reply.
With a sickening thrill, l set to work
to examine the winch, and found, as l
supposed, that the handle had been en-
tangled in the coils of rope, from
which | had some difficulty in the dark
ness in extricating it, But once re-
leased allowed it to revolve slowly,
until felt there was no further strain
upon it.


''How l succeeded in getting wn
without disaster through that perilous
labyrinth, can form no idea, nor have
| any recollection. l remember de-
voutly thanking God, as stepped out
from ihe door of the transept on the
floor of the nave.


"Here l am, old fellow,' cried
aloud to Symes, and sprang forward
into the open space.


There was no reply. MY heart
beat violently! Could he bave gone
home and left me there, The moon
beams sloped farther up the building,
eaving the centre aisle in deep gloom.
Creeping forward in vague terror, 1 al
most stumbled over the body of my
friend, apparently lifeless, but still
clinging TO the rope. With trembling
haste, | disentangled his limbs, and
gers bench, wheer left him for a mo-
moment, while / rushed to fetch assis-
lance. But conceive again my blank
despair, when | found the door which
shut with spring, locked, and the key
i couldn't tell where. / had proba-
bly, laid ii down IN some forgetful mo-
ment, and was locked in, with a man
dying or dead under nay charge.


Il shouted; / beat; / kicked upon
the door, in the vain hope of being
heard by some stray passenger; but
there was no house within fifty yards,
and L had heard the clock strike ten
some time before. Wild with desper-
alton, | ran back to my inanimate COM
panion, | do not know whether you
have ever experienced the wave of re-
lief that succeeds the unexpected de-
liverance from extreme peril; but 1 as
sure you that the conviction that poor
Symes was not dead, brought me upon
nv knees in thankfulness for the mer-
cy that had protected us in such an aw-
full crisis.


81 was overcome with WEAKNESS and
weakness holding the hand of my un-
conslous friend, and l almost think
that was doing, when heard the
sound of an opening door and friendly
voices. L cried aloud, and we were
at once surrounded with lights, and
eager frightened, inquiring faces, be-
sieging me with questions, which for
the time l was altogether unable to an
swer. Svmes still insenslble, was car
ried to his lodgings on the other side
of the green, whittier followed him,
and waited for more than half-an-hour
unlil the doctor came and told me that
he was partly unconscious, but must
not on any account be disturbed or ex-
cited by seeing anybody. He said he
would remain with him through the
night; and / returned with anxious
thoughts and an exhausted frame, but
with grateful heart to my own home.


''It turned out that little Jimmy Ok
ley had been the means of bringing us
the help that we had despaired Of.
My old housekeeper had come into my
room here two or three times during
my absence, and could not understand
my leaving the light burning, if l had
intended to be away so long. She went
over to Oxley's, and mentioned the
circumstance on which the yerger