Daily Yellowstone journal., 1891-07-24

They knew how expert he was and re
membered all the dangerous places that
he had climbed before, but their faces
grew white with fear as they looked at
the 400 feet ofssomber, rocky wall that
lowered above them.
1"Now, boys" said George, as he
threw of his coat and frightened his
belt, don't be a bit frightened about
me; with these gals I can climb up
there without any trouble, and l can
come back. too. with the greatest safe
ty. I'll take your bag, Frank, for the
eggs. only put plenty of Oakum in It SO
they won't break when l am coming
back" Frank brought him the bag.
and his hand trembled as he put it
around his brothers neck, but neither
of the boys seemed to know what to
say.
Now. goodby, boys, for the present;
I'll be through in twenty minutes;
these cormorants defend their nests so
that l may be able to gaf some of
them. Look out for them as l throw
them over"
Then selling his gaffs tightly in his
hand he sprang toward the cliff, run
ming nimbly up a half dozen PAGES al
most as light footed as a weasel The
two boys looked at him in specifies
terror, but they had great faith in his
skill and courage. He found little diff
fculty in passing the first dozen lodges
OF 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. 1t was plain that the path which
he had traced out for himself in a dot
ted line wa an impossible one. New
ertheless he turned his hand behind
him and waved a signal of encourage
ment, but he never once looked back
or down.
Then he seemed to gather resolution;
tuck fast one gaf and then another
into two tiny riffs in the cliff and drew
himself up lover a space Of seven OF
eight feet to the ledge above. Then,
for the first time, he turned and looked
down These riffs ran obliquely, and
from his gesturesi Il seemed only too plain
that he doubted il 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
his toe, yet it wa marvellous to see
the progress he made up the iron
stained face of the steep wall. When
eve he reached a terrace hat 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 a hold
for his steel hooks. He tried one place
and another, but was afraid 20 trust
himself, and at last discovered a small
rift through which a tiny stream of wa
ter trickled, and into that be thrust
both his gaffs, lifting himself lightly up
ward. This was the most perilous spot
OF all, for above him vas 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, 50 he climbed on and on,
shifting mis- gaffs from one holding point
to another, sticking his knees hard
against the cliff and hardly ever finding
a spot 10 place his foot Then the sum
init was reached. and he sprang lightly
upon the rim of gueno burned sod
The two breathless watchers below
pulled of their caps and hurrahed, 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 a strong,
m~ournful tone: II can never go back
Don't wait for me, but try II 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 wa inhabited by
more than 5000 birds. It 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
we're tumult and anger among all the
cormorants at the intrusion upon their
abode. George struck several Of the
birds with one Of his gals, and after
killing them By pounding their heads
against a rock. threw them over the
preoipiee to the boys below, Tor he
knew they would linger about the base
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