The south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1879-1883, 1880-08-17
before night three four five-franc
piaces."

pieces"
"From the mountain"
IL have discovered an eagles nest
in a cleft Of a frightful precipice.
There is gentleman ut Sallanches
who would gladly purchase the eaglets;
and nothing made me hesitate but the
terrible risk OF taking them; but that's
nothing when our fathers life Is con-
cerned. We mag have them now in
two hours"
IL will rob the nest.'' said Gull
laume.
mo, no; let me-" said Jehan, 81
am the youngest and lightest."
81 have the best right to venture"
said Pierre, "as it was / who discover
ed it,"
Come" said Pierre, "let us de-
eide by drawing lots. Write three
numbers, ,Guillaume.pu them into my
hat. and whoever draws number one
will try the venture"
Guillaume blackened the end Of o
splinter in the FIRE: tore an old card
into three pieces; wrote on them one,
two, and three, and threw them in to
the hat.
How the three hearts beatl Old
Bernard lay shivering in the cold fit,
and each Of his sons longed 10 risk
his own life to save that OF his father.
The lot fell on Pierre. who had dis
covered the nest; he embraced the sick
man.
1--WE shall not be long absent,
father" he said, "and it is needful
for us to 50 together"
"What are you going TO do?'
awe will tell you aS soon as we
come back"
Guillaume took down from the
wall an old sabre. which had bel onged
to Bernard when he was a soldier,
Jehan sought thick cord which tine
mouutaineers use when cutting down
trees, and Pierre went towards an old
cross, reared near the cottage, and
knelt before il for some minutes in
fervent prayer.
They set out together. and soon
reached the brink OF the precipice.
The danger consisted not only in the
possibility Of falling several hundred
feet, but still more i'll tho probable ag-
gression Of the birds Of prey inhabit-
ing the wild abyss.
Pierre, who was to brave these
perils, was a fine, athletic young
man Of twenty-five. Having measur.
ed with his eye tho distance he
would have to descend. his brothers
fastened the cord around his waist, and
began to let him down. Holding the
sabre in his hand, be safely reached
the nook that containe 4 the nest. In
it vera four eaglets Of 1 light yellow
ish. Thrown color, and lis heart beat
with joy at the sight Vt them. He
graspcd the nest firmly in his lei,
hand. and shouted jo,'fully to hi'
brothers, II have theri! Draw mi
up!"
Already the flst Inward pull wal
given to the cord, s'hen Pierre fell
himself attacked by lwo enormou,
eagles. whose fnrious cries proved
them to be the parents Of 1.-THE uestlings
"Courage. brother! defend ,hyself
don't fear!"
Pierre pressed the nest to his berom
and with his right hand made III,
sabre play around his head.
Then began terrible combat. Th,
eagles shrieked, the little ones criet
shrilly. the mountaincer shouted ant
brandished his sword. He slsshet
the birds with It's blade, which fash
ed like lightning, and only rendered
them still more cnraged. He STRUCK
the rock, and sent forth shower o
sparks.
Suddenly he felt jerk given to thu
cord that sustained him. Looking
up he preceived that in his evolutions
he had cut his sabre, and that hal
the strands were severedl
| Pierre's eyes dilated widely. re
mained for moment, and then closes
with terror. A cold shudder passet
through his veins, and he thought 0
letting go both the nest and sabre.
At that moment one Of the eagle
jpounced on his head and tried TO tea
This lace. The Savoyard made las
effort, and defended himself bravely
4 He thought Of his old father and tool
courage.
4 Upward. still upward mounted tn
cord: friendly voices eagerly uttsre
words Of encouragement and triumph
!. but Pierre could not reply to them
When he reached the brink Of tn
precipiee, still clasping fast the nest
/ his hair which an hour before ba
been as black as ravens wing. wa
become SO completely white tn,
Guillaume and Jehsn could scarcel
recognize him.
!. What did that signify? the caglei
were Of the rarest and most valuabl
Ispccies. That same afternoon the
were carried to the village and solt
:. Old BERNARD had the medicine an
J, every neediul comfort besides. an
: the doctor in few days pronounce
, him convalescent.