A BLOOD-CURDLING ADVENTURE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6847, 8 May 1890, Page 1

A BLOOD-CURDLING ADVENTURE.

{iloiem Society.)

We Colonials, on the whole, I think, have more appreciation of Sb Paul's •Cathedral than any other of the London eights. Coming over from Australia, for a six months' visit, one of tho first things I promised myseli: was to see St Paul's. I felt it impossible to go back and face my friends if I could not say that I had seen the Metropolitan cathedral. First one thing intervened, and then another, until my last day in England had been reached. That lasb day I had kept clear of engagements purposely, bub unfortunately a -telegram arrived in the morning aummoaing me to Norwich, and it w&b eight o'clock in the evening before I reached Liverpool street on tbo return journey. Now, I was bound to start for Brindisitho next day, and it seemed as if it were to be my fate to mis 3 the last chance of seeing St Punl'3. Still I was determined, and a fast hansom put lac down at the corner of Sb Paul's Churchyard. As I stood on the pavement looking up at the giant dome, the clock struck nine. Tho sun had set, and high overhead the golden ball and cross stood out against the sky, still burnished by the evening glow. The traffic had slackened ; there were but few pedestrians, and an occasional cab crawled by. The city seemed to sleep, and St Paul's was closely fastened up. Was I doomed only to see the outside? Bending back uiy neck and gazing upwards, I saw that about the great golden ball was a tracery as of cobwebs, and men like flie3 were crawling about. Stout scaffolding and cables tliey were, no doubt, but from the street they appeared bub trifling. After quickly walking round in vtiin search of an open door, I came to the end of the South transept; I spied a light. Presently I ■heard a door softly clo3e, and a gray-headed old verger opened the iron grills. With all the eloquence of which I am master, I entreated him to let me into the sacrsd fane. lie hesit-ited and shook his head.

"Very well," he said,; "it is against the rules, but, as you say, it is a long •way from Australia ; I'll let you in if you don't mind stopping insido.for an hour. I shall return tuen, but I must lock tho •door behind me. Do you still wish to go inside ?"

Thanking him warmly, I said, " Cer--tainly, yes." 1 got under the great dome, ■which hung like a luminous cloud above, full of hazy, uncertain shadows, a faint circle of li^ht flitting round tho huge piers — white figures gleaming here and there in shadowy recesses, .marble warriors, heroes, and statesmen.

Under the dome in the great open space ■was a vast crowd of chaira, rusk-bottomed, lashed together in rows looking eastwards. Choosing one of the most central of these, I sat down and began to dream, peopling the area with a vast invisible congregation.

In Boft, long-drawn cadences, the bells of Sb Paul's tolled out the hour of ten. -I Lad been in the place an hour. I felt chilled and numbed. I walked briskly up and down an avenue between the cbaivs. I had seen enough, and wanted to get away from the scene of shadows. Looking upwards, a faint circle of light marked the soaring vault, and just above my head I saw a rope hanging down from the vast height above. Then I remembered the apider-weba I had seen outside above the ■ball and cross, and as I stood and listened I heard faint sounds of hammering and Men were at work hundreds of feet above, lights shone here and there, twinkling like stars. In years gone by I used to be a famous gymnast, and the sight of the rope hanging above mo put mo in mind of my former prowess. How many times, I wondered, •could I, hanging on to the rope, draw my chin up to ray knuckles ? I leapt up and caught the rope. Oace, twice, thrice. Drawing myself up and down until I grew tired, I stretched myeelf, expecting to reach the ground with ray toes. But I could not. .Glancing below me I saw that the flooring had vanished from under me. I wa3 swinging suspended by my hand 3 high, up towards the dome! If I .had dropped at that moment I might have been safe, but I heaitated, and was lost. Slowly and steadily the rope was being ground up. I shut my eyes. Was this a ludeous delusion ? Ho ; I looked down — the floor below was almost out oE sight. There I BWUng, B, tiny human speck liali •way between heaven and earth. My muscles were wearied with the load. I •made huge efforts to grasp the rope with my feet also, but impossible ; I could not do it. I could, therefore, only hold on. I waß -now on a level with the plinth i;hafc surmounts the great arches of the • dome; the colossal fresco figures seemed to mock my agony. I must bo half-way up now — could I hold on to the end ? But to my despair I now saw that the seeming , dome was a false one, above which rose the real conical roof anothor hundred feet or more, and tbat through a vast round orifice, the sham dome, the rope was to ascend to the uppermost peak. In that moment of torture I saw that my fate was inevitable; my muscles now were relaxing, ■my grasp would fail, in another minute I mustfalland be dashed to pieces! Confused thoughts whirled through my brain. In my mind's eye I saw the plains of grasß, herds, and flocks in my far-off home. My limbs were relaxed, my senses almost .deserted me. Voices, I thought, were calling me. I was slipping, slipping, slipping, and — I fell ! "How do you feel now, sir?" was •whispered close to my ear. Wa3 it possible ? Was I still alive ? Yes, my brain was conscious. But my frame ? Shattered, no doubt; a mere human wreck. I only dared to use my eyeß, and yet I had no feeling of pain. An old man was bendiflg over me, the same who had admitted me 5 he had a -wine-glass in his hand. A candle by bis side formed a little chamber of light" about us. "Am I knocked all to pieces? Do say?" I whispered. "I don't think so, Bir, you are not hurt a bit. Bless you, sir, you only fell about three feet." I stretohed out my arms; they were all right, and my legs were sound. "How is this?" I said, eitting up and looking about me. "I thought I was carried up into the dome ?" " And so you were, "fou'd have been a dead man by this, but jusb in the nick of time I came back. I don't suppose I Bhould have noticed you because of the light, but I ■caught sight of your body against the gilding, and then you pave a sort of moan. Says I, ' There's death here if I don't think ©f something at once.' Then I recollected hearing tbat the workmen chaps whistled three times when they wanted the rope lowered, bo I piped away and the rope began to come down. I shouted to you to hold on and keep your heart up, but you didn t Beetnto hear nothing. When your feet came, •wrthin a yard of the floor you quivered and fell in a dead faint. But what were you about to let them draw you m) like thati 1 I explained my gymnastic feats. "On, 1 Bee; yau shook the rope. That s the signal to pull up, and up they pulled, me men are working double shifts now, and 1U a hurry to get finished." When I left St Paul's Cathedral that evening, I felt weak and nerveless, as « I had ?ono thro.ugh a long illness. I have •written this true and unvarnished account ai my mishap as an outlet to roy feelings. I did not talk much about St Paul's when I returned to the Antipodes.