Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1892-03-25
PHOENIX, BRATTIEBORO FRIDAY MARCH

birds lowering about and flying across the
island fairly darkened the ground, and
there were tumult and anger among all the
cOrmorants at the intrusion upon their
abode.
George struck several of the birds with
one of his gaffs, and, after killing them by
pounding their heads against a rock, threw
! them over the pTecipice to the boys below,
for he knew they would linger about the
base of the island for while before re-
! turning home. Then with despair i'm his
heart he sat upon the sod near the verge of
the cliff and watched for the departure of
the skiff
Night very soon fell upon sea and land
and he sat there through the ptchy dark,
hour after hour, terrified by the binding
! lightning and deafening thunder and del
uged by the pitiess rain. Not once through
that long and terrible night did he close his
eyes in sleep, and when the grey dawn APP
! peared in the east great thrOb of hope
went through his heart
The clouds had rolled away and the sun
! burned up on the edge of the sea like "A
large scarlet furnace. And with the rising
of the sun came the voices of his parents
and friends from the mainland asking him
how he had Jared through the night and
telling him to keep up his spirits Then
some of them tried to throw across food
made up in tins and little parcels but they
all fell short and dropped into the gulf be
| low.
He was now tortured with hunger, and
on the advice of his mother, who stood in
| front of the assemblage on the mainland.
he built fire out of the decayed grasses
and weeds, the dry bones of birds and nest
| mo oil MI I,,1 1
selecting the fresh ones when cooked and
eating them.
So far no one could devise any means of
reaching him. 1t was impossible to stretch
a ladder across. and access from below was
equally impossible. His father and sever
al of the fishermen tried for hours to fly
rope across the chasm, but fell short fully
| forty feet from the brink of the island.
| The group stood there in mute sorrow, the
mother constantly shouting across words
of encouragement.
Hour after hour passed till the sun had
passed the meridian, then the party on the
mainland heard a wild cawing close beside
them, and turning saw that Jack. poor
| George raven, had joined Them Evident
| ly the bird had followed the party at
safe distance, remaining all these hours in
| the background but had at last yenturcd
to show himself. No sooner did George
see him than an idea flashed through his
mind, and raising his voice he cried:
| Catch Jack and faStcn the smallest rope
! you have to his leg and | will get him to
| bring it across
Fortunately one of the party had brought
along reel of cod line, so the bird was
! captured and the line fastened to his leg.
after which it was placed in a loose coil by
! the brink of the mainland cliff. Come.
! Jack, come, shouted George, and imme-
| diately upon the bird being released he
| plunged ont into the air across the gulf
| with eNultant chattering, dragging the line,
and made straight for George, perching at
| his feet and looking at him with wide. Gu
| riOuS eyes.
The party on the mainland understood
| the eXpedient. and Immediately fastened
the end of one of the heavy coils of rope
to the small line, and then fastened care
fully together all the heavy coils. Taking
the small line in his hand, George drew
across the heavy coil, and when he got
hold of the end of it dragged it to a per
pendicular rock and carefully fastened it
around il. The men on the mainland then
threw the joined cable carefully over into
| the gulf, and it went with a swaSh down
into the sea.
George next fastened the line from Jacks
leg, then saying few CHEEKY words to his
mother got over the rope and descended
swiftly down over the precipice and was re-
ceived below by boat which Law by the
lower end of the rope.
a wild hurrah went up from his delight
ed friends, but no one made louder dem
onstration of JOY than Jack, who went
screaming down the abyss and perched in
the boat beside his beloved master.