, 1891-07-24
SAVED BY A RAVEN.

Two brotberS George and Franz
Blackburn, lived with their father il
n of the large 81 settlements on tn
Labrador coast. George was seventeen
and Frank fifteen, and both the boy
in summer ranged the coast in ii SINAI
skif collecting birds eggs and othe
specimens. George owned n pet raven
which he had trained TO follow him
carry small parcels in his mouth and Dc
many other intelligent things, and tn,
bird was exceedingly attached to him
Whenever George went into the wood
or among the hills Jack, which was tn,
ravens name, followed him, cawinl
and c~hattering, sometimes walking
sometimes luttering, and frequently
darling far ahead with loud, delighted
screams, He liked also to go with hii
young master in the boat, but this he
was seldom permitted to do.
One lovely June morning the two
boys and their cousin, Ned Bradshaw,
put out from the little wild dock in an
open skifT, with two tanned sails, to
make an excursion TO Cormorant isl
ands, about three leagues down the
coast Jack came hopping and flying
down the rocks, appealing piteously,
with loud cawing, to be taken on board.
George raised his hand and shouted (:
mo, Jack; can't come. Home, Jack"
and then the skill was pushed off,
while the poor, lonesome bird stood on
a rock close by the waters edge Then
he raised his wings, flew out over the
water and circled over the boat, cav
ing and looking at George MS if beg
ging him to relent and take him on
board. But George arose in the boat,
and in n stern, angry voice ordered
him 10 go home. The disappointed
bird turned and flew quietly ashore,
perching on the edge of a narrow strip
of meadow, looking dis%consolatcly after
the fast disappearing boat
The object of the visit 10 Cormorant
island was to get some Of the eggs Of
the cormorant, which ure rather diff.
cult to obtain, The boys had not told
their parents where they we're going,
but they had decided upon nothing less
than the ascent Of the island, the sides
of which rose almost perpendicularly
out OF the sen to n height of nearly 400
feet. The island had three sides, and
on n of these sides was n series Of
rocky shelves resembling n stairway,
but some of them were so narrow that
it was impossible to get n steady foot
hold upon them.
When the coast fishermen passed the
island they shuddered because so many
tragic events were connected with its
name. Five or six adventurous persons
had scaled its shelvy sides and got up
among the multitude of birds, but not
n man Of them had ever been able to
make the descent. As n cliff climber
Of considerable experience myself, "A
prccipiece which you may climb with
safety may, in the descent, defy the
skill of any human being.
The boys very well knew tho history
of the island and its dangers, but
George had for more than two year,
been studying the problem Of how to
get up and come down in safety, had
examined every rock shelf on the side
through a glass, tracing the same on
paper, and had talked with every
fisherman on the coast who knew any
thing about the place, and obtained
his opinion MS to the safest ways of de,
scending.
So he had quietly provided himself
with two short hand gals, with stout
wooden handles, having on one end n
running loop Of cord to be fastened
around each wrist, and on the other
end n strong steel hook. These were
designed for getting a hold in cracks
and assures in the face of the cliff
where it would be impossible TO draw
ones self up by means of the fingers.
for George knew hat the most daring
and expert climbers had used gans will
success.
The coast was bold and desolate ant
contained 40 human habitation be
tween the dock from which the skif
had set out and the island, or for sew
eral leagues beyond. When the,
reached the base of the island, whicl
stood close to the main land, they pulle,
their skill upon n small platform o
rock, got out their guns and began
shooting the birds that circled arount
the island and nested on the terraces
Then George told that he wa going up
They knew how expert he was and RI
membered all the dangerous places tina
he had climbed before, but their face
grew white with fear as they looked n
the 400 feet of somber, rocky wall tina
lowered above them.
Now, boys" said George, rs h
threw off his coat and frightened h
belt, don't be a bit frightened abor
me; with these gals | can climb u
there without any trouble, and ! On
come back, too, with the greatest SAT
ty. I'll take your bag, Frank, for Il
egg only put plenty of oakum in it
they won't break when | am comir
back Frank brought him the ba
TWENTY DOLLAR GOLD PIECE
Mrs. Jphu CIU Peoria, ILL.,. writ,
used one box OF o ge Pills previous
my secoul--rniurment; they worked Ii
anoharm. Would pay $40 for a b
rather thau do without them. as tn
have proved a Godsend to me" VIZ
Usage Medicine company, Wichita, Ka
For particulars. and their book to wiz
mailad free. Sold by druggists, Sold