New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-07-17
RTSKING Much FOR An EGG.
SOME UNHAPPY HosEs PASSED IN RoBBING
MIXTURES MIST.

sOME UNHAPPY HosES PASSED IN R0BBlNG
vULTURE's MIST.
81 have nv little .fad,' as well as other people
aid prospectus fat and IDLY commission merchant
~ a Tribune reporter the other day, but dare say
Won would guess a long time without hitting on II, 80
I will confess II without putting You to the trouble.
II is my collection OF birds eggs. IL rests In my
smoking room at bone In It's neat glasscovcrcd boxes
with Gotten wool nests. and every egg shell In II was
collected by myself. and every one has the datc
and place OF its capture marked on It. The making
81 that collection gave many hours OF rare SPORT
when was an adventurous young fellow and had
none OF this load Of fat 10 carry about. and the chief
se OF II now recall pleasant memories OF those
DAYS that will never come again. When you're old
you'll know how that is yourself'-and the old gentle
man took strong pull ut MS cigar and let the smoke
out In a long and noisy Sigh.
81 was a traveller In those days for hg export
house which pushing into Mexico ana South
America for trade aud 1t came about that most Of
nv eggs are those OF birds Of those countries. Tell
vou about some OF themp Don't mind II do. Well,
for want OF knowing which to pick on. I'll tell YOU
how | came TO capture the biggest thongs not the
rarcst one I'm the collection. II Is n vuitles egg.
| wa, I'm Mexico when | got that egg and thought
once or twice while was securing It that | would
never get out OF Mexico again.
"vulturcs are shy OF mankind md their nests are
wh) knew where one was hired him. with a couple
Of assistants 10 show me II and help me get The eggs
We arrived at the spot about and almost wished
| had not come. The guide pointed out TO me pre-
clpns and beetng can, which looked 10 ME to be
alb out five hundred feet high, overhangng deep lake.
About one hundred feet from the top OF the cliff there
was a rent or hole which from where stood. looked
as n II had about much room inside II ms an empty
Hour barrel In there, the guide said. the vultures
th.ir nd Tho oply
me down from the top at the end Of n long rope
at was per0us descent. but making sort OF chair
40 the end OF a stout rawhide rope | swung myself
over the cliff. and men lowered SLOWLY down.
while the third lay his face and pcered over into
tho abyss. watching me- When | got about twepty
feet below hole in the cliff, sgnalled them to
stop. The hole found was big around at the en-
trance as a barndo0r; but the top OF tho cliff pro
iected 50 that hung fully twenty feet away from the
face OF the rock Nothing daunted began to swing
myself slowly Mt first, and with gradually increasing
force till my body at last swung In against the face
OF the OH and finally into the hole Itself. Catching
n projecting corner OF rock gained my feet and
nearly knocked off them again by tho horrible stencil
which greeted me.
"The floor OF the hole was strewed with decaved
flesh and fish and feathers and bones and In the mid
die Of 1t all lay the nest OF long grass and dirty
any pigsty. and In IL two young vuturcs and I'M
Matched egg. The egg was q grateful sight but the
Youngsters were unpleasant surprise, for they at
once threw themselves on tier backs and began to
scream like mad. ! secured the egg but not without
getting q couple of bad scratches from the sharp claws
Of the young birds which were about as big hens
I was wrapping tisa egg IN my coat and the young
birds were filling the air with their clamor when sud.
denly there was whir OF wings the entrance
darkened aud got a blow on the head that knocked
me down In tho unspeakable filth and filed my eyes
with blood.
1.-THE old birds were upon me. recognized that
faot In an instant and having nothing 70 defend yse