Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1892-03-25
SAVED BY 4 RAVEN.

burn, lived with their father in one of the
largest settlements on the Labrador coast.
George was seventeen and Frank fifteen,
and both the boys i'm summer ranged the
coast in a small sliff collecting birds eggs
and other specimens.
George owned a pet raven, which he had
trained to follow him, carry small parcels
in its mouth, and do many other intelligent
things, and the bird was exceedingly at
tached to him.
One lovely June morning the two boys
and their cousin, Ned Bradshaw, put out
from the little wild dock i'm an open skff
with two tanned sails to make an excursion
to Cormorant island, about three leagues
down the coast.
Jack came hopping and flying down the
rocks appealing piteously with loud cav
ing, to be taken on board. George raised
his hand and shouted, "No, Jack; can't
come. Home, Jack" and then the skin
was pushed off, while the poor, lonesome
bird stood on rock close by the wa
ter's edge.
The object of the visit to Cormorant is
land was to get some of the eggs of the
COrmorant, which are rather difficult to
obtain. The boys had not told their par
ents where they were going, but they had
decided upon nothing less than the ascent
of the island. the sides of which rose al
most perpendicuarly out of the sea to
height of nearly four hundred feet. The
island had three sides, and on one of these
sides was a series of rocky shelves resem-
bling a stairway, but some of them were so
narrow that it was impossible to get
steady foothold upon them.
When the coast fishermen passed the is
land they shuddered because so many trag-
ic events were connected with its name.
Five or six adventurous persons had scaled
its shelly sides and got up among the null
titude of birds, but not a man of them had
ever been able to make the descent But
George had quietly provided himself with
two short hand-gaffs, with stout wooden
handles, having on one end a running loop
of cord to be fastened around each wrist,
and on the other end strong steel hook.
These were designed for getting a hold in
cracks 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 is
land, which stood close to the mainland,
they pulled their skiff upon small plat
form of rock, got out their guns and began
shooting the birds that circled around the
island and nestled on the terraces. Then
George told that he was going up.
'NOw, boys said he, as he threw off
his coat and frightened his belt "don't be a
bit frightened about me: with these gatfs |
can climb up there without any trouble,
and can come back, too, with the great
est safety. I'll take your bag, Frank, for
the eggs, only put plenty of oakum in it so
they won't break when | am coming back
Then Selling the gatfs tightly in his hand
he sprang toward the cliff, running nimbly
up a half-dOzen PAGES almost as light-foOt-
ed as IA weasel. The two boys looked at
him in speeches. terror, but they had great
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 drawing, which was 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 some
what nervously about him and again care
fully studied his drawing. 1t was plain
that the path which he had traced out for
himself in dotted line was an impossible
one. Nevertheless he turned his hand be-
hind him and waved "A signal of encourage
ment, but he never once looked back or
down.
Then he seemed to gather resolution.
stuck fast one gaff. and then another into
two tiny riffs in the cliff and drew himself
ND 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 obliouely. and from his gestures il
seemed ONLY too plain that he doubted if he
could get back. But his courage did not
fail him. and after a minutes rest he re-
sumed his perilous Journey. sometimes be-
ing suspended in the air by both arms.
sometimes by one. with no Mace 10 mt his
toe: vet it was marvellous to see the prog
ress he made ND 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 then to another. looking
for some part of the rock above him
where he could get hold for his steel
hooks. He tried one place and another.
but was afraid TO trust himself. and at last
discovered small rift through which a IL
nv stream of water trickled. and into that
he thrust both his gaffs, lifting himself
lightly upward
This was the most neriIous snot of all