, 1891-07-24

of the boys seemed Il know what Il
say.
Now, goodby, boys, for the present
I'll be through in twenty minutes
these cormorants defend their nests 81
that l may be able to gaf some o
them. Look out for them as I throw
them over"
Then seizing his gals tightly In hi
land lie sprang toward the cliff, run
ming nimbly up n half dozen PAGES al
most as light footed as a weasel. The
two boys looked at him in speeches
terror, but they had great faith in his
skill and courage. He found little diff
6culty 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 n 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. 1t was plain that the path which
he had traced out for himself in n dot
ted line was IAN impossible one. New
artbaIass he turned his hand behind
hin, and waved n SIGNAL Of encourage
mont but he never once looked back
or down
Then he seemed to gather resolutions
stuck fast one RafT and then another
into two tiny riffs in the cliff and drew
himself up over a 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
hat he doubted If lie could get back.
But his courage did not fail him, and
after half n minutes rest he resumed
his perilous journey, sometimes being
suspended in the air by both arms,
sometimes by one, with no place to put
his toe, yet it was marvellous to see
the progress he made up the iron
stained face of the steep wall. When
ever he reached n terrace that he could
stand upon he rested n 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 ON part Of the rock
above him where he could get a hold
for his steel hooks. He tried one place
and another, but was afraid to trust
himself, and at last discovered a small
rift through which a tiny stream of wa
trickled, and into that he thrust
both his gafTs, lifting himself lightly up
ward. This was the most perilous spot
of all, for above him wa n 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, so he climbed on and on.
shifting his gafTs from one holding point
to another, sticking his knees hard
tho cliff and hardly ever finding
spot to place his foot. Then the sum
nit Was reached and he sprnng lightly
upon the rim of guano burned sod.
The two breathIess watchers below
pulled off their cans and hurrabed but
he stood silently Mt the dizzy ton till
the echoes of their voices in the cliff
had died Raising his hand TO get
their attention he sboute in n strong
tone 81 can never 20 back
Don't wait for me. but try If Won can
get helm" Then he sat down upou a
rock, exhausted from the desperate
climb
The top of the island was about three
49,. - Il.l.- "