The Magnolia gazette. [volume] (Magnolia, Miss.) 1872-current, 1883-09-20
2alM t6IiFFIT ITliIi TliiI6iiTENliT6hE.T i i=i55l ia

John Astlidm.
a84A tCIfFF kDYENTURE. ia 3
In the far north, long ago, when /
was a boy, my brother and. used to be
expert cragsmen, if may use the term.
Few things gave us more pleasure than
to scale all the steep precipices, of
which there Wpssno lack IN our neigh
borhood. These precipices ranged from
one hundred TO four hIlpdred feet in
height. We were never troubled with
dizziness and, boy-lilSe in such a pastime,
did not know what fear meant. Dam
gerous it certainly was, and many a
narrow escape we had. Ishudder now
at the thought of the placesin which we
ventured. One of our adventures after
birds eggs very nearly proveds fatal.
we had often tired, ltut had Always
failed, to obtain any ravens eggs for
our collections. We were anxious TO
procure specimens, and determined
that somehow or other we should. Now,
beitknQYn to, those who sare not ac-
quhinted with the cbarsetei; hnd habits
of the '.bird Of i'll omen.n that he is one
Z ofthelmost3 sagaeious5 and cilnrfing of
the feathered tribe. He builds his nest
high UP in the most inaccessible cliffs,
so that,it is almost impossible to reach
it except with the help 'iofla rope, and
even with such assistance lit is no easy
& task. 4 We knew ofa ravens nest about
fifty feet from the top of very steep
and bare precipice of four hundred
feet which there was no possibility of
scaling in the usual way. Above the
nest the cliff was partly overhanging,
and beneath and-on both sides, except
the spot ehosen for the neston solitary
shelf, itlwas smooth aHfl steep as a
wall For many years the same pair of
ravens, safe and ndJnm6lested, had occu-
pied this spot and reared their broods;
but, with the lpertinaciodsH ardor of
poyhood, we T. We're, resolved that
they should mo longer find that their
eyrie was impregnable, andwe laid our
plans accordingly ii was necessary.to
have recourse to'a rope, THAT one of us
mightlbe lowered down frona- the brow
of the cliff also a ipulleTs6n The form
OF what sailors call a ''block," was re-
CURED; for one of US would, of course,
have been unable to haul up the other
With the single.rolIe onl y; ;bht the doub-
ling Of the rope by means of the block
would diminish the weightand pressure
by one-half, and bring the task we'll
within our strength. Accordingly, we
obtained a coil OF about forty fathodns
OF rope, such as is commonly used for
thesheet of tho sail of q small boat; also
small block, and d Strong oak stake.
9Ihe brow of the din } wasya{ smooth,
grassy sward, the turf being hard, and,
TO all appearance, tough. We secured
one end OF the rope TO the stake, which
we drove firmly in the ground right
above the ravens nest NV brother
was to make the descent; / was to stand
by the rope and manage the lowering
and hauling up. A small piece of. wood
70 slG ON having been attached to a loon
~ rope and secured tothe lower end oi
tne 1lock, all was ready for action, and
lhe descent Commenced, Slowly / paid
out the rope. | could not see over the
cht' but waslquite within easy ear-shot,
ana every. second or two the shout came
Up; Lower away, lower away;' atIast
= IL was; Hold hard,r and in little
All right Hauly Npsnaw.n l knew
that thepfize was won, and began te
pun away lustilyand cheerily; but wher
nad recovered not more than three ol
loui yards, to my horror and dismay
noticed the treacherous soil Welding &c
SAe strain, and the stake being drawn
l nad barely time to seize the stake END
VI the rope. Another moment and the
sake would have been wrenched out o,
ne eart9 anddravged right-over, and
WE'LL dare say should have held on
msure Ishould; but thatwould hay,
peen OF no avail. My poor brother mus
nave iallen down, dewn, till the blocl
uauSnt the stake swith Jerk, whicl
Would haYev fetched me over. TOO. il
i.s naq Kept my hold; and down those ter
tioie hundreds Of feet we should hay,
: visn dashed to, inevitable destruction
As u was, the situation was dreadfu
snoughtorlus both, For some time al
s could hold ON, but that was all
s; ~ ~ beyond my strength now to bau
.lnlone yard Of rope Haul away. can
sous shouted my brother, little think
pened. '''-'' 20 Z
lpaused momentbefore ANSWERING.
.LMaS afraid, when he knew the truth
{; .nae ne might faint or lose presence D
llal hl'na Al theappalling position in whicl
i,s se was placed. I did him Injustice. 4
otsVer, cooler spirit never beat in breas
!. man or boy. Don't be alarmed -:
TL' TT-Lleu' the stake is loosenin1 little. )
A' Is now ! put it, to lessen the shocl