A chain snapped; and the crane broke loose, and swung
It's great beam suddenly across the pier,
Backwards and forwards in a mad career.
John only dodged it just in time; and flung
Himself flat on the stones, as it lunged clear
Over the sea: when, lifting up his eyes,
Startled, he saw that young Dick Dagleish clung
Desperately to the beam, half-crazed with fear;
And, any instant, might let go his hold,
And crash upon the rocks, or drop to drown.
Swiftly the beam returned; and, as it passed
Over John once again, he leapt upright,
And caught the broken chain; and swung with it,
Backwards and forwards, with the boy's wild cries
Tearing his heart, and turning his blood cold —
Backwards and forwards still, now dangling sheer
Over the rocks, now over the full tide —
Backwards and forwards still, from side to side —
Backwards and forwards, until, John, at last,
Managed to pull himself up on the beam;
And seize the crazy lad, and hold him down;
Though now he struggled, scared into a fit:
And, as the mad boy let out scream on scream,
John pinioned him, although the lad's teeth bit
His finger to the bone — grumbling at him:
You would then, would you, looney? You would drown
The two of us? But I don't mean to swim —
Not, if I know it! And John held him there,
Securely gripped; while through the dizzy air
The beam still carried them, until the force
Of its momentum slackened; and, at length,
Slowly and creakingly, it came to rest
Over the pier-head: and they helped John down,
Hugging the lad, now senseless, to his breast.
But, as his feet touched earth, John's giant strength
Failed him; and he fell prone ...
And, all that night,
He swung behind a comet, in its course
Across the void, clutching its fiery tail,
That lashed across infinity; and felt
Suns whirring past him in their flaming flight;
Until he lost his grip; and tumbled sheer
Into the bottomless abyss of hell
Down, down and down, and ever down he fell,
Clutching at phantom chains, without avail —
Chain after glittering chain, whose links of light
Eluded him, or at his touch would melt ...
Until, still in an icy sweat of fear,
He waked in his own room, where someone knelt,
Sobbing, beside his bed. He touched her hair;
And knew that it was Bessie, sobbing there.

And then John started up; and stood upright,
Swaying and muttering: and, all in vain,
She tried to keep him quiet in his bed.
Nay, woman, I can't idle here , he said,
With work to do. And I must set the crane
To rights at once. It needs a stronger chain.