Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1891-08-28

that may be able to gan some Of
them. Look out for them as I throw
them over.
Then seizing his gals tightly in his
hand he spraDg toward the cliff, run
ming nimbly mp half dozen PAGES al
most as light footed as a weasel. The
two boys looked at him in speechless
terror. but they had great faith in his
skill and courage lie found little diff
flculty in passing the first dozen lodges
or so. for he could easily reach them,
and they gave sure footing. Every
minute or so he stopped to consult his
drawing. which was a complete chart
OF the face OF the cliff. After a third
OF the ascent was made he paused, and.
as the boys could see from below,
looked somewhat nervously about him
and again carefully studied his draw
ing. Il was plain that the path which
he had traced out for himself in dot
ted line was an impossible one. New
ertheless he turned his hand behind
him and waved n signal Of encourage
ment, but he never once looked back
or down.
Then he seemed to gather resolution;
stuck fast one gaf and then another
into two tiny riffs in the cliff and drew
himself up over space of seven or
eight feet to the ledge above. Then,
for the first time, he turned and looked
down These riffs ran obliquely, and
from hisgestures It seemed only too plain
that he doubted II he could get back.
But his courage did not fail him. and
after half a minutes rest he resumed
his perilous journey, sometimes being
suspended in the air by both arms,
sometimes by one, with no place TO put
bis toe, yet it was marvellous to see
the progress he made up the iron
stained face OF the steep wall. When
ever he reached terrace that he could
stand upon he rested a few seconds,
hitched up his trousers. and began the
ascent again.
Near the top the cliff beetled out
above his head, and he crept along the
ledge, first to one side and then to an
other, looking for some part of the rock
above him where he could get hold
for his steel hooks He tried one place
and another, but was afraid to trust
himself, and at last discovered small
rift through which tiny stream of wa
ter trickled, and into that he thrust
both his gaffs lifting himself lightly up
ward. This was the most perilous spot
of all for above him was a stretch OF
about fifteen feet Of bald cliff; below
him lay an abyss nearly 400 feet deep,
with surging sea and cruel rocks at the
bottom. To turn his head and look
down would be terror and immediate
destruction, 80 he climbed on and on,
shifting his gaffs from one holding point
to another, sticking his knees hard
against the cliff and hardly ever finding
a spot to place his foot. Then the sum-
nit was reached. and he sprang lightly
upon the rim of guano burned sod.
The two breathless watchers below
pulled off their caps and hurTahed, but
he stood silently at the dizzy top till
the echoes of their voices In the cliff
had died. Raising his hand to get
their attention he shouted in n strong,
mournful tone; ~ can never go back.
Don't wait for me, but try If you can
get help" Then he sat down upon a
rock, exhausted from the desperate
climb.
The top of the island was about three
acres in area, and was inhabited by
moro than 5000 birds. 1t would be
almost impossible to take a step in any
direction without treading into a nest,
and the mothers became infuriated as
George walked about, and rose with
shrill cries, brushing his face with their
wings and pecking savagely at him.
The wings of the other birds hover
ing about and flying across the island
fairly darkened the ground, and there
were tumult and anger among all the
cormorants at the intrusion upon their
abode. George struck several Of the
birds with one OF his gaiTs, and after
killing them by pounding their heads
against rock, threw them over the
precipice to the boys below, for he
knew they would linger about the base
OF the island for while before return
Ing home
Then, with despair in his heart, he sat
upon the sod near the verge of the cliff
and watched for the departure of the
skiff The air was filled with the harsh
cries of the birds, and the echoes in the
cliffs turned the place into an utter
Babel He sat there for half an hour,
and by that time the sun sank in the
far western waters, Now he noticed
the sails of the skiff, and the brisk
breeze carried her swiftly around tho
nearest headland and left him there
with the gloomy shadows creeping
upon the island, leagues from every
thing human and surrounded by
screaming, angry birds, whose eyes
cleaned in his face as they brushed past
In the gathering dusk.
Night very soon fell upon sea and
land; the birds ceased their tumult and
settled upon the rocks and upon the
lodges, but the wind freshened and
whistled about his ears, while the rest
less, moaning cry Of the sea came 10
him from below Not a star was TO be
seen, but huge, black clouds came
trooping out Of the south, filling the
heavens 10 leeward. II was not long
before the night was suddenly riven
with tiame-awful thunders beloved
across the heavens seeming to shake
the island and the cliffs about IL; then
20. - 81 a.. lf..e.n.A Inas,.H