unsure footing

A case that proves an exception to this rule is his discussion of the so-called “eagle stone” in which he expresses his skepticism about its magical qualities.

One of the staff was up in the flies fixing the weight for the mast. The head mechanist and Ted Gascoigne were down below on the stage, having an argument. Suddenly, the gentleman in the flies got all careless and dropped the weight.

[…] so, when the two ladders were taken down, no man living could come down to me without mischiefing himself, […]