Daily Yellowstone journal., 1891-07-24

far western waters. Now he noticed
the sails of the skiff, and the brisk
breeze carried her swiftly around the
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
before the night was suddenly riven
with fame-awful thunders beloved
across the heavens. seeming TO shake
the island and the cliffs about il; then
torrents of rain were loosened, drench-
ing to the skin the poor boy as he lay
there upon the bleak sod.
George had a brave heart. but be
felt that his chances Of escape were
very slim. Down the island wall he
could not 60, and In what other way
could he leave the placer Then arose
in his heart a feeling of reIRorse that
he had concealed from his parents his
intention Of climbing the island, and
far more bitter TO him than his own
misery was the thought how his mother
would feel when his brother and cousin
reached home without him. He knew
they had been crying out some words
to him before they left, but the noise
Of the water, disturbed by the freshen-
ing beeze, had prevented him from
hearing what they said.
So he sat there, through the pitchy
dark, hour after hour, terrified by the
binding lightning and deafening thun-
der and deluged by the pitiless rain.
The great black birds everywhere about
him crouched close upon their nests
and huddled behind the rocks for shell
ter. No once through that long and
terrible night did he close his eyes in
sleep, and when the gray dawn ap-
peared in the east a great throb Of
hope went through his heart
The clouds had rolled away, and the
sun burned up on the edge of the sea
like a large scarlet furnace. And with
the rising of the sun came the voices Of
his parents and friends from the main
land asking how he had Jared during
the night, and telling him to keep up
his spirits.
He could see his mother in the group,
and he saw that she was weeping: her
voice came distinctly from among all
the rest telling him that God was good,
and that he would In some way be res
cued. Then some Of them tried to
throw across food made up in tins and
little parcels, but they all fell short and
dropped into the gulf below. He was
now tortured with hunger, and on the
advice of his mother. who stood in the
front of the asseInblage, on the main
land, he built a fire out of the decayed
grasses and weeds, the dry bones Of
birds and nest materials, and roasted a
half dozen eggs, selecting the fresh ones
when cooked and eating them.
So far no one could devise any means
of reaching him II was impossible to
stretch a ladder across, and access from
below was equally impossible. A num-
Der of fishermen had gathered around
the base of the island In their boats,
but they were nonplussed like those on
land. His father and several of the
fishermen tried for hours TO fly a rope
across the chasm, but IL fell short fully
forty feet from the brink of the island.
The group stood there In mute sorrow,
the mother constantly shouting across
words of encouragement.
Hour after hour passed TIL tine sun
had passed the meridian, then the party
on the mainland heard a Wild cawing
close beside them, and turning, saw
that Jack, poor Georges raven, had
Joined them. Evidently the bird had
followed the party at q safe distance,
remaining all these hours In the back
ground, but had at last ventured to
show himself No sooner did George
see him than an idea flashed through
his mind, and raising his voice, he
cried:
Catch Jack and fasten the smallest
rope you have to his leg, and 1 viii get
him to bring it across" Fortunately,
one of the party had brought along a
reef of cod line, so the bird was cap-
tured and the line fastened to his leg,
after which it was placed In a loose coil
by the brink of the mainland cliff.
Come. Jack, come, " shouted George,
and Immediately upon the bird being
released he plunged out into the air
across the gulf with exultant chatter
ing, dragging the line, and made straight
for George, perching at his feet and
looking at him with wide, curious eyes.
The party on the mainland understood
the expedient and Immediately fastened
the end Of one Of the heavy coils Of
o p TO the small line and then fastened
a.