Year: 1878

e position weakened my every nerv


Once more heard the wind rising an


hurting along toward me. | woul


cling as long as could. 1 knelt dow
on the wet, slippery balk, clasped it wit
my arms and sat astride oft. The gus


came up fierce and strong, passed owe


me once more-once more spared me
. But ! felt that l could not survive an


other such attack; l should be blown
away like leaf. And yet there was N,
} hope OF escape-none. 1t was only


question Of moments how long, Will


stiffening limbs, 1 could cling to thi


rough beam, then a plunge into tn,


darkness


Sill | had time to think. What wert


my thoughts? A helpless sense of cru


city, of the horrible unfeelingness anC


malignity of the hurtling wind, of the


raging waters. A sad modification, too


and sense of injustice, that l should lost
my life for nothing; a pleasant ramblt


turned to such an evil end. OF the pas


l thought nothing; it was nothing to me


nova tale that was told; that was all


Of the future, nothing, either, excepting
a dim and awful wonder. But plainly


yividly before my eyes saw the figure
of my wife, sitting at work by the fire


waiting and watching for me-for me


who never should come. That was the


bitterness of it And yet withal l wa:
not unconscious of a certain vague sense
of the ludicrous -ofmyselfthat 1 should


be thus stuck up astride 3. beam, like
some lad at play, sport for the bullet


ings Of the elements. With this too, an
unspeakable rage, kind of crushed de-
fiance, revolt against the doom which
was imminent-a revolt which felt itself
hopeless and useless from its beginning.
While all this storm of conflicting
thoughts was whirling through my brain,
the turmoil outside was diminishing.
The wind had hushed for awhile, and
across my face for a moment a sort of
ruddy glow, the last beams of the sun
setting rapidly into the sea- The vapors
divided for a moment, the huge dark
mass of mountain frowned down upon
me-for moment only-then the clouds
encompassed me once more, the glow
died away, the awful gloomy gray of
night began to gather in upon me like a
vast net.


Should l drop into the sea and end it
all To die in the dark would be more
horrible than anything else. Even on
the quietest and most resigned death
beds the loss of light is the most dis
quieting trouble to the departing soul.
Light more light! is the last cry ofthe
spirit in extremity. And now it seemed
as though nature had determined to
spare me no pang of all the gathering
horrors of my doom. Darkness and de-
spair were settling down upon my soul


Then came the storm once more with
a rush Of gathered rain, howl, a shout.
q roar of triumph as the shrill wind
trumpeted past, precursor of a more
furious blast could bear no more A
sapless, nerveless form Twas, swept from
the beam like a withered leaf from q
branch, and i fell, catching at some
crossbeams as / fell, but losing my hold
in moment, and dropping helplessly
down. Once more consciousness re-
turned. A vague, silvery light was diff
fused about me, above were stars shin
ing, huge balks of timber glImmered
overhead. was stretched upon bed
of wet sand, lying on my back, looking
up into the sky. was not dead, then.
MOI Was MANNED, crushed 1 drew up
one limb after another, fearing least
sudden shout of agony should betray
some grievous hurt. But mol / was
sound in limb and as 1 raised myself
and looked about felt that, except in
the dizziness and wonderful ringing
that was ceaselessly going on in my
head, was unhurt. And l was saved
That was as might happen.


When l rose and stood upon my feet
1 looked around me, and found that /
had fallen upon little island, a narrow
spit of sand that had formed in the eddy
caused by the pile of the bridge. On
each side Of it ran a strong and rapid
current All This saw by the light of
the moon, sometimes bright, sometimes
obscure, as she parted her way among
the fast driving clouds.


Distantly across the waters shown the
lights of the little town. saw its gas
lamps, which sparkled brilliantly in the
night, and from out of the rocks which
showed against the sky line, here and
there the soft light of candle in cot
tage window cleaned like fairy lamp.


On the other side of the estuary there
were no lights. but the straining eye
might discern the gloom of high hills,
that seemed, indeed only Ike some
darksome chasms in the sky; but as 1
watched / saw tiny star that was gid
ing among the rocks. Now seen, now
lost, followed it with longing eyes, and
listening intently heard the clatter of
horses hoofs and the murmur of wheels
rising and falling as the road wound in
and out among the rocks further or
nearer. 1t was some carriage rolling
rapidly toward home-toward my home,
and here was /, castaway.


/ shouted, but my voice seemed lost in
the great space The wind carried it up
by the river, and blow it away into
stifled fragments. 1t was use 'ess to cry;
no one would hear me. How long should
have to live? Was there any chance
that might escape? could not swim?
the channel on either side was, there
fore, an impossible barrier. Even had
l been an excellent swimmer doubt if
in nv enfeebled state l could have won
the further bank of the channel. where
the current was running the least
swiftly. How long would my island re
main uncovered by the sea


Six or eight feet above my head tan
gled masses of seaweeds hanging in the
interstices of the woodwork, showed the
highest reach of the ebb had commenced
an hour before started from Abermaw.
Allowing an hour for my subsequent
adventures, the ebb would still have
three hours to run then another three
hours would elapee before the tide would
reach me. remembered that had a
flask of metal in my pocket which con-
tanned dram of brandy, and then / had
a few fragments of biscuit remaining of
some that my wife had packed for my
use couple of days before. / drank the