The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1883-10-27
A CLIFF ADVENTURE.

A CLIFF ADVENTURE.
In the far north. long ago, when /
was 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 was no lack in our neigh
4 borhood, These precipices ranged from
one hundred to four hundred feet in
height We were never troubled with
Niiizziness and, boy-like III such q pastime,
did not know what fear meant. Dam
Igerous it certainly was, and many a
marrow escape we had. / shndder now
at the thought of the places In which we
iventured. One of our adventures after
birds eggs very nearly proved fatal
I'VE had often tired, but had always.
failed, to obtain any ravens eggs for
bur collections. We were anxious to-
procure specimens, and determined
That somehow or other we should. Now,
be it known to those who are not ac-
luainted with the character and habits
,bf the ''bird of i'll omen. that he is one
bf the most sagacious and cunning Of
The feathered tribe. He builds his nest
high up in the most inaccessible cliffs,
10 that it is almost impossible to reach
IL except with the help of rope, and
Even with such, assistance it is no easy
Task. We knew of ravens nest about
fifty feet from the top of a very steep
Rnd bare precipice of four hundred
feet which there was no possibility of
ealing in the usual way. Above the
lest the cliff was partly overhanging,
md beneath and on both sides, except
be spot chosen for the nest on solitary
helf Il WAS smooth and steep as a
fall. For many years the same pair of
hyens, safe and unmolested, had occu-
led this spot and reared their broods:
hit, with the pertinacious ardor of
Oyhood, we were resolved that
hey Should no longer find that their
Erie was impregnable, and we laid our
pFans accordingly. It was necessary to
nave recourse to rope, that one of us
hight belowered down from the brow
II the elf; also a pulley, in the form
d what silots call ''block, was res
qkired; fo.one of us would, of course
hive beenAnable to haul up the other
with the siitle rope only; but the doub-
Hgg Of the ppe by means Of the block
IA aySlld dimikh the weightand pressure
\ b3 one-halfsand bring the task well
within our aength. Accordingly, we
obtained ii Of about forty fathonls
Qffopes suchs is commonly used for
thf sIiqet a sci of a small boat; also
Il q non oak stake
!, grssl d, and,
5sSils ecIlred
one end Of (which
WEI drove in 81 right
WI S9S & Skkhs nj; Il Was 6 ol stanaI
NJ bYAhe he "a age the lowering
and h3Q ingsp. i ssnqa pieup Of wood
tosait Cd ha,Sl F ~ IN attached 10 aslooI
Of rope and ed to the lower end 81
theShl0dk, ready for action, and
thetdes6ent ynfinepeed. SlowlyI paid
1.-THE ropd 4 eeuld not see over The
cliff but WaSuite within easy ear-shet
and eTsfY selnd or two the Shout cams
upsb Lover Nay, lower away at las
it was. ssHol hard, and in 4 little
s,AH right. Eaul up now. 1 knew
thatthe prizavas won, and began Il
pull away iusy and cheerily; but Whef
had reo0veTa not more than three 81
f0uliyards, tony horror and disinAy
noticed the tfpcherolIs soil yielding K
the train, andhe stake being lraiY7i
u ltdtt, A1sttt1Y t4c W sSlAc puC SEA NC t1lEt
of the rone. mother moment and thi
stake would h$e been wrenclled out 8
the aarth aud gagged right yei. and
well, Ida are s. III should have held On
IanSsure Ishfall; but that would lslyI
beens Of no aTa Ny poor brotherlnaA
have fallen DOM down till the hlQTl
caught tl ktke wls n jHi Nj
would haFe fkhad over, I1aS II
had kept fIiy hid. ali0 5yvh Es6Ae tdH
TibIeAlun aredsEf, feet ge shoSIs nav
been sas Il inevitable desti 6sI
AS il lts hFsstuation was dleadfsI
enon for IS ptli. For SONS ti,la 4
least enl.ld hid, on but thai y So
Na bey dld Ii strengt nov lfa
Sd onf gnrEl IS I'd. Haul aWas
y hosited brQtbcr little
ing shat dsadful Thing
Ep8used 4 nIlnent be prp ia
was Ersa wen he knew
fhaf nii 6alt fint Or lose
snindt tbs appalling ~ IA u
be was plaea / did
braves, cooIe piriE 81 8 .t
of NAB or boy don 81 a|4slIef
cried the sIaIe IS la min ||l|e
That how / Ent its %