Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1892-08-25

down, while the third lay on his face
and peered over into the abyss, watch
ing me. When got about twenty feet
below the hole in the cliff. signalled
them to stop. The hole / found was as
big around at the entrance as a barn
door; but the top Of the cliff projected
so that hung fully twenty feet away
from the face OF the rock. Nothing
daunted, began to swing myself, slow
~ at tirst, and with gradually increas-
ing force, till my body at last swung in
against the face OF the cliff and finally
into the hole itself Catching a pro-
Jecting corner OF rock, gained nv feet,
and was nearly knocked off them again
by the horrible stencil which greeted
me-
''The floor of the hole was strewed
with decayed flesh and fish and feathers
and bones and in the middle of it all
lay the nest, of long grass and as dirty
as any pig-sty, and in it two young
vultures and one unmatched egg. The
egg was grateful sight, but the young
sters We're an unpleasant surprise, for
they at once threw themselves on their
backs and began to scream like mad
| secured the egg, but not without get
ting a couple of bad scratches from the
sharp claws of the young birds which
were about as big as hens. was wrap
ping the egg in my coat and the young
birds were Cling the air with their
glamor, when suddenly there was =
whir of wings, the entrance was dark
ened, and I got blow on the head that
knocked me down in the unspeakable
filth and filed my eyes with blood
'sThe old birds were upon me. re-
eognized that fact in an instant, and
having nothing to defend myself with.
1 expected to be knocked down the cliff
or at least to have my eyes pecked out
l was always pretty ready of resource,
and in this bad plight the thought
flashed through my mind that these
tir1id birds were only fierce because
they thought 1 wanted to harm their
young. Quickly unrolling the egg from
my coat, / threw the garment Over the
squalling brats, and their sharp claws
striking into the cloth at once tangled
them inextricably in It Guarding my
eyes from the old birds with one arm,
I dragged the coat with the two young
birds attached 20 II TO the mouth OF the
hole, only a step or two, and hurled
them far out and down into the lake
''As expected the old vultures fol-
lowed their young at once and their
efforts TO lift them out of the water
were so ludicrous that 1 laughed loud
My laugh was quickly shut of, how
ever, for in the next moment DIS I
thrust the egg into my bosom and gave
the rope q tug as Z signal to my 1nea to
pull me up, the rawilide came down
from the top Of the cliff with a run.
Great Scott! How was 1 TO get back?
What had those stupid fools at the top
done? l did not know that they had
watched me disappear into the hole,
had seen the old vult1.res follow me and
had then seen what they thought must
be ne, IS they dis >inctly recognized my
coat. come flying out again and fall into
the lake, pursued by the two vultures,
whom they could see peching at me in
the waves.
They let so the rope and hurried
away around ard down to the lakes
edge to rescue my mangled body from
being entirely eaten up by the birds
After some tedious hours of climbing
they found out their mistake and pro-
ceeded to climb back again By this
time it was growing dark and as L sat,
hour after hour, IN that foul hole. be-
tween heaven and earth, not knowing
what hao happened, you can 1ulaSII1S
my feelings Just as l was in absolute
despair I saw d stone tied to a thin co-d
swing down ii front OF me. I clutched
at it with ecstacy and nearly fell over
the edge in my eagerness- Tying the
end of nv rope TO the cord, gave a
pull and away it went up the cliff
again. After due time 1 gave q pull on
the rope and finding it taut, l swung
myself out of that internal hole and
was drawn up to the top rejoicing, with
my precious egg still il my bosom s
n Y. Tribune.