Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1892-04-25
Saved BY A Raven.

Two brothers, George and Frank
Blackburn, lived with their father in
the largest settlement on the Labrador
coast. George was seventeen and
Frank fifteen, and both boys in sum-
mer ranged the coast in a small skiff
collecting birds eggs and other speci-
mems.
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 attached to
him.
One lovely June morning the two
boys and their cousin, Ned Bradshaw,
put out from the little wild dock in
an open sliff with two tanned sails to
make an excursion to Cormorant is
land, about three leagues down the
coast.
Jack came hopping and flying down
the rocks appealing piteously, with
loud caWing, to be taken on board.
George raised his hand and shouted,
''No, Jack; can't come. Home, jack"
and then the slziff was pushed off,
while the poor, lonesome bird stood
on a rock close by the waters edge.
The object OF the visit to Cormorant
island was to get some OF the eggs of
the cormorant, which are rather diff
ficult to obtain. The boys had not
told their parents where they were
nothing less than the ascent to the is
land, the sides of which rose almost
perpendicularly out of the sea to a
height of nearly four hundred feet.
The island had three sides, and on one
of these sides was a series of rocky
shelves resembling a stairway, but
some of them were SO narrow that it
was impossible to get a steady foot
hold upon them.
When the coast fishermen passed
the island they shuddered because SO
many tragic events were connected
with its name. Five or six advenutr-
Gus persons had scaled it's shelvy sides
and got up among the multitude 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 d strong steel hook. These we're
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
island, which stood close to the main
land, they pulled their skiff upon a
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 told us that he was going up.
CHOW, boys" said he, as he threw
of his coat and frightened his belt,
"don't be bit frightened about me;
with these gaffs can climb up there
without any trouble, and can come
back, too, with the greatest safety.
I'll take your bag, Frank, for the eggs,
only put plenty of oakum in it so they
won't break when 1 am coming back'' |
Then Selling the gaffs tightly in his 7
hand he sprang toward the cliff, run
ming nimbly up a half-dozen PAGES
almost as light-footed as a weasel. |
The two boys looked at him in speech
less 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 I
reach them, AMI they gave sure foot T
ing. Every minute or so he stopped T
to consult his drawing, which was a +
complete chart of the face of the cliff.
After third of the ascent was made I
he paused, and as the boys could see
from below, looked somewhat ner.