The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1877-12-06
THE EAGLES NEST.

which lay insulated between high cliffs.
The bottom of the valley was fiat and
fertile, but cut by broad river which
came down from the cliffs. This river
emptied into a large sheet of water
which bordered the place on one side
and opened up wide view.
He who first cleared the valley came
rowing across this water. His name was
Endre, and it was his descendants who
lived here. Some people say that he had
sought refuge here on account of MUIR
der, and that this was the reason why
the whole clan looked so stern, but 9TH
ers said that it was due to the cliffs
which, even on a Midsummer day, shut
out the sun at five o clock in the after
noon.
Over the hamlet hung an eagles nest.
1t was built on ledge, jutting out high
up in the face of the cliff; all could see
where the eagle-mother sat, but none
could get up there. The other eagle
sailed above the hamlet and swooped
| down, now and then, on lamb or kid !;
once he clutched q small child and car
| ried it away. Since that time people in
| the hamlet felt uneasy as long as the
eagle had his nest on the rock. A story
was told once, in old times, that there
were two brothers who reached the ledge
and tore down the nest, but nowadays
none was equal to the task.
Whenever two people met in Endre-
place, they spoke of the eagles nest and
looked up toward it. They knew the
day when the birds had come last year,
the spot where they had swooped down
and done mischief, the name of him who,
the last, had tried to get up there; and
from early childhood all the boys prac-
ticed wrestling and climbing the trees
and crags, that they might be able some
day to reach this ledge and tear down
the nest, as those two brothers had done
At the time of this story, Left was
the finest lad in Endreplace, but he was
not of the clan. He had curly hair and
small eyes was foremost in all kinds OF
sports, and fond of women He said
early of himself that he should, some
day, reach the eagles nest, but old folks
said that he had better not speak so loud
of it.
He felt fretted at this, and before he
reached his best years he tried. 1t was
a clear Sunday forenoon in early sum
mer; the young birds were just hatched
Many people had crowded together
|
men dissuaded, the young men encour
aged. But Left followed only his owl
will, waited till the eagle-mother haC
left the nest. sprang up and hung b.
tree some yards above the ground
The tree grew out of cleft in the wall
and along this cleft he began to go up
Small pebbles loosened under his feet
gravel and dirt slid down, else all wa
still; only the river behind moved o.
S with low but never-ending roar. Som
/, way up the cliff leaned forward. Lei
S hung for long minute by one hanC
g sought the way with his foot, but coul
+ not see. Many-mostly women-turne
away and said he would not have don
this if he had had mother or father alive
d He found footing, though, began
Z: grope upward, again, first with tn
- hands then with the feet, slipped, slic
e but caught hold once more. Poop
who stood below could hear each otht
d draw their breath. Then arose ia
young girl, who had sat alone on
1t stone; people said that she had give
y her word to Left, long ago, though
was not of the clan and her paren
lie would never give their consent. 81
stretched up her arms and cried: "Lei
Left, why is thisl" All people turnt
w toward her; her father stood close
he and looked sharply at her, but she kne
him not. "Come down, Left" she erie
" for it is who love thee; up there The
re hast nothing to win" Left was seen
halt, but only for a moment; then
ne went on again. His hand was stron
his foot was sure; for a while he ST
Mt ceeded we'll; but midway he began
waver, and halted often. A small sto
came rolling down, ami all eyes follow
y, it to the bottom, for it struck them
lr- foreboding. Some would bear it
ng longer, and went away. But the t
ir- girl stood still, as if planted on t
ou stone, with the hands clasped over /
he bosom, and the eyes fixed on the rot
Left groped with the one hand, b
ny slipped. She saw it. Then he thrl
Dr. upward the other hand, but slipr
ids again. "LeifW she shrieked so it
=, into the rock. "He is falling" the o
l." ers cried, and spread out their ar
he toward him. Yes, he was falling. RI
re- ing the sand and earth around hi
loosening the gravel and pebbles in
'ep way, he kept falling and falling, fas
out and faster, with the grating and era
the ing of torrent, until at last it all enc
yer with the duh thud of the falling O
heavy load of moist earth.
the When the people had drawn b
from the cliff, and turned away til
lid, faces, looked around once more, there
ar lay, one smothered mass, never to
owned a man any more. The
lou dropped down on the stone, and
carried away by her father.
aid The young men who had encoura
H." Left to the venture were shy now
ire touch him; some of them could not e
fol- bear to look at him. Thus, the old I
had to do what was to be done, and
Oldest among them said: "This is v
son sad." But perhaps" he added a
the a while, looking around, "it is well t
the something should hang so high that
evervbOdv can roach II -