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The Book of Enterprise and Adventure - Being an Excitement to Reading. for Young People. a New and Condensed Edition. by Anonymous
page 33 of 81 (40%)
situation that it was impossible to descend, unless he fell upon the
ragged rocks beneath him. There was no house near, from whence his
companions could get assistance. He could not long remain in that
condition, and, what was worse, his friends were too much frightened to
do anything for his relief. They looked upon him as already dead,
expecting every moment to see him precipitated upon the rocks below and
dashed to pieces. Not so with himself. He determined to ascend.
Accordingly he plies the rock with his knife, cutting places for his
hands and feet, and gradually ascended with incredible labour. He exerts
every muscle. His life was at stake, and all the terrors of death rose
before him. He dared not look downwards, lest his head should become
dizzy; and perhaps on this circumstance his life depended. His
companions stood at the top of the rock, exhorting and encouraging him.
His strength was almost exhausted; but a bare possibility of saving his
life still remained; and hope, the last friend of the distressed, had
not yet forsaken him. His course upwards was rather oblique than
perpendicular. His most critical moment had now arrived. He had ascended
considerably more than two hundred feet, and had still further to rise,
when he felt himself fast growing weak. He thought of his friends, and
all his earthly joys, and he could not leave them. He thought of the
grave, and dared not meet it. He now made his last effort and succeeded.
He had cut his way not far from two hundred and fifty feet from the
water, in a course almost perpendicular; and in a little less than two
hours, his anxious companions reached him a pole from the top, and drew
him up. They received him with shouts of joy, but he himself was
completely exhausted. He immediately fainted on reaching the top, and it
was some time before he could be recovered!

It was interesting to see the path up these awful rocks, and to follow
in imagination this bold youth as he thus saved his life. His name
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