St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1892-04-07
Sefcfen Story.
SAVED BY A RAVEN.
A Boys Story of Adventure.


ackb burn, lived with their father in
e Of the largest settlements on the
brador coast. George was seven
en- and Frank fifteen, and both of
e boys in summer ranged the coast
a small skiff collecting birds eggs
nd other specimens.
George owned a pet raven, which
L had trained to follow him, carry
mall parcels in its mouth, and do
nany other intelligent things, and
be bird was exceedingly attached to
I'm.
One lovely June morning the two
Lows and their cousin, Ned Bradshaw,
bat out from the little wild dock in
La open skiff with two tanned sails
make an excursion to COrmOrant
sland, about three leagues down the
#past.
Jack came hopping and flying
own the rocks appealing piteously,
with loud cawing, TO be taken on
board. George raised his hand and
Shouted, mo, Jack; can't come.
ONE, Jack" and then the skiff was
pushed off, while the poor, lonesome
bird stood on a rock close by the
#~ater's edge.
The object of the visit to COrmOr-
ant island was to get some OF the
Eggs of the cormorant, which are
IA Their difficult to obtain. The boys
bad not told their parents where
&they were going, but they had de-
SGded upon nothing less than the as
¢ of the island, the sides of which
lose almost perpendicularly out OF
Efhe sea to height of nearly four
hundred feet. The island had three
Esides, and on one of these sides was
Ia series of rocky shelves resembling
Ia stairway, but some of them were
so narrow that it was impossible to
get steady foothold upon them.
When the coast fishermen passed
/ the island they shuddered because so
many tragic events were connected
with its name. Five or six adven-
Eturous persons had scaled its shelvy
sides and got up among the multi
Ftude of birds, but not man of them
Ihad ever been able to make the de-
scent But George had quietly pro-
Evided himself with two short hand
gaffs, with stout wooden handles,
having at one end running loop of
cord to be fastened around each wrist,
and on the other end a strong steel
hook. These were designed for get
ting a hold in cranks 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
that the most daring and expert
climbers had used gaffs with success.
When they reached the base of the
island, which stood close to the
mainland, they pulled their skiff up
on small platform of rock, got out
their guns and began shooting the
birds that circled around the island
and nestled on the terraces. Then
George said that he was going up.
Now, boys" said he, as he threw
off his coat and frightened his belt,
don't be bit frightened about me
with these gaffs l can climb up there
without any trouble, and | can come
back too with the greatest safety.
III take your bag, Frank, for the
eggs, only put plenty of oakum init,
so they wont break when | am COM
ing back"
Then Selling the 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
speeches. terror, but they had grea t
faith in his skill and courage. He
found little difficulty 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 dra wing,
which was complete chart of the
face of the cliff. After 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 drawing.
1t was plain that the path which he
had traced out for himselfin a dotted
line was an impossible one. Never
theless, he turned his hand behind
him and waved "a signal Of encour-
aoement, but he never once looked
back or down.
Then he seemed to gather resOlu
ton; stuck fast one gaf, and ther
another, into two tiny riffs in the
cliff and drew himself up over 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 his ges
lures it seemed only too plain that
he doubted if he could get back. But
his courage did not fail him, ano
after a minutes rest he resumed his
perilous journey, sometimes being
suspended in the air by both arms
sometimes by one, with no place tc
put his toe; yet it was marvellous tc
see the progress he made up the iron
stained face of the steep wall.
Near the top the cliff beetled out
above his head, and he crept along
the ledge, first to one side and ther
to another, looking for some part o
the rock above him where he coulc
get good hold for his steel hooks