The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1869-12-31

ceived m eagle larger than ] had ever
seen. With all the impetus Of hit
Iheadlong flight, md with his eyes
flashing rage, ho was rushing upon
me, the robber of his children.
knew that / was lost il / did not sue
ceed in enfeebling the onset, or lamine
his wings.
In trice I had seized the rope
again with my left hand with my
right / grasped, with nervous force,
the lower part Of my staff, drove the
ice-apurs of my left foot rs deeply as
possible into the weather-beaten rock
of the ledge to gain support, and ai
the very moment TINT tho eagle,
slrielSing and tapping his wings,
plunged down upon INC, / gave such a
violent thrust nj his breast that the
iron buried itself deep in his flesh,
and, severely wounded, he beat hia
wings together. His power Of flight l
saw was weakened: but ut the same
instant, through the violence Of the
attack, I too lost my equilibrium, my
feet stumbled, and | staggered back
ward into the abyss.
The blood froze i'll my veins, but ]
did not lose CONSEQUENCES for a
momont. In the midst Of my fall
seized the rope with both hands. /
felt the stick at tho other end Of the
rope, and upon which j sat, breal;
under me, owing to the sudden plunge
and the weight Of my body, aud that |
was only connected still with the up.
per world by tho second small rope
that was wound about my body
p" Draw IN ! draw in +" rang out my
clear CRY 20 my cousins above, who
answered my signal, and was at once
drawn in, / hoycred upward The
severely wounded eagle, rs / could
still observe, was striving to cling
with his claws to the roc!y ledge and
reach his nest.
was in my youth one OF the FIRST
wres .iegs, and my arms anil muscles
were OF such strength that they could
be measured against the best in the
fountains. But ] was and am, also.
what IS called a imam of corpulence, -
and soon perceived that the small rope
in the ascent Of eighty feet could not
alone bear my heavy body. Neces-
sarily my arms must lend assistance ii
| would reach the summit. | did what
was IN my power, aud clenched with
both hands the large roTso but / had
not calculated that, owing to the
weight Of my body, the accent must
proceed but slowly. Longiugly /
directed my glauces above. Repeat
edly cried 20 ny cousins Draw III
draw in !" They answered encourag-
iu@ly, but the ascent, however, was
Eok on This account quicker. The
muscles OF my arms were strained to
their utmost, and my strength was
failing more and more.
Suddenly felt that a cold, clammy
sweat was covering me. IS / looked
longingly toward the top, ! obseryed
and M icy chill even now rims
through me-that, under the weight
o. ny body, the knot of the small rope
was slowly unlooaening from the
larger, and with every second the
moment drew nearer when / must rely
solely upon tie already falling strength
Of my arms. I shall never III my life
forget that moment. With every pull
from above the knot lcugthened, the
plunge into the abyss waa nearer
+" Oucc more" +" I cried, in the deepest
anguish Of my soul, to my cousins
closer aud more conyulsively my
hands graaped the rope then closed
my ewes. commencing my soul to God.
The Lord IN heaven helped.
Seppel," voice cried, on a
sudden, near me, and n hand seized
my hair and drew me towards it,
I" Seppel, for Gods sake, what has
happened to you? Where is your
hat-your staff"
| opened my eyes. My two cousins
were knceling upon the precipice, and
drawing in the rope to bring me to
terra tirma [ had been nearer the
top than had supposed. The knot,
although already half loosed, had
continued to hold, and bore its burden
to The last. Perhaps two minutes
later the end would have slipped and
sent me into the abyss. When ]
reached the summit Of the rock, /
sank TO the earth in swoon. How
long / lay thus know not; but when
a few days afterward awoke in the
house OF my relations, and learned
that had had a high fever and been
delirious, my eldest cousin, smiling,
held n glass before me.
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