The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1899-10-26


There, hear that:'
Help! help!" cried the voice. "I'm
hurt. Come quick, OF ] shall be killed.
Oh, dear, what shall do?"
1t was plain that the sufferer could
not be far off; yet, to bring him within
sight, we had to make our way through
some very difficult places.
When we did get view of him, the
| peril of his position really terrified us.
He was at height of some 300 feet
above the ground, upon the jagged face
! of cliff. In Il fissure of this his feet
and legs appeared to be wedged, while
with his hands he clung desperately to
a small projecting point.
| ''Oh, Oh, OH" he cried, as he caught
sight of us. ''Get me out of this place.
Get me down from here. can't move,
and the eagles will kill mel"
He had good reason to think so, for
the huge birds were sweeping close to
his head, swapping their fierce beaks.
and making a noise with their wings,
like that of ships topsails when she
is going in stays
"You little scamp!" exclaimed the
second mate, who was with us; show
did you ever get there? What will
your father say to us, you young viii
lain?''
"Oh. oh, OH" walled the poor fellow
81 was going up to the eagles nest,
and 1 slipped and got wedged in this
crevice. l can't get out. Come up
quick-quick!'
Some 80 or 40 feet above him was the
eagles nest, sure enough. 1t seemed
astonishing that any human being
should ever have had the recklessness
to attempt such foolhardy feat, and
still more astonishing that he should
have been able to climb SO far.
Upon further view of the cliff we
were appalled,. Who of US could feel
like creeping from jag to jag up the
side of that almost perpendicular rock ?
And how, even in case CT his being
reached, was the half-disabled boy to
, be got down?
To make the matter worse, we were
brought to a halt by wide chasm di-
rectly in front of US, SO that to rcaci,
the foot of the precipice it was neces-
sary to seek out some place for cross
. ing.
While looking for such spot we
heard Arthur Clifford calling to his
! young shipmate, and presently saw him
! going up the side of the rock. 1t sur
= prised us to see how fast he climbed.
We ran long distance. until it be
gan to seem as if we were never to find
a place to cross, and when we finally
: did so, Arthur had almost accomplished
;, the ascent.
:. = Hold on, Waltz" he cried; don't be
afraid-Tm coming. just keep whers
- you are.
"Oh, the eagles!" answered Walt
Zone of them has just knocked my caI
off! Hurry up, Art-oh, come quick!'
Some of the rest of us attempted tt
y Chamber up, but made wretched work O.
: it, for the risk appeared frightful. L
was enough to shake very stout hear
to cling to bare rock in the air, where
:. the hold was SO slight and doubtful
and when we looked and saw the stai
. so fearfully high, there was very ittl'
encouragement in the prospect.
'I've got him clear!" Arthur shouted
down to us at length, as we were strung
along the face of the cliff. some higl
:. and some low; ''but / wish the eagle
y would keep away. Only see! there ar
four of them now!"
!. 1t seemed as if a second pair ha
come to assist the first. and, embold
ened by their numbers, the whole be
came startlingly ferocious.
# Seeming to know that the two boy
n were attempting to retreat, the
pressed the attack with frantic rags
Arthur's cap shared the fate of nj
I. companions, and both lads got a nun
r. Der of blows.
AS Walter, after all, had no broke
ID bones, he was still quite active, thoug
$ dreadfully cowed anl frightened. H
A. crouched into as small a space as pos
90 sible, while Arthur, knowing him to b
severely bruised, took the more expose
h. position.
70 Suddenly there was a more than usui
th thunder of the sail-lise wings. All fou
of the birds seemed to swoop down {;
!, once: their tails were broadened, an
or their beaks and talons looked like hool
of steel.
+. We saw Arthur strike out with h
,r. arms. and heard a terrified yell fro
st Walter.
gu In another moment our hearts stot
still with horror. Arthur Clifford ha
", gone completely off the rock. in midai
20, over 800 feet from the ground!
or What a spectacle it was! Such
shock as we then experienced cou
I'm never be forgotten by any of us.
ed But the next instant, what was OF
to surprise to see that. instead OF fallir
is, like stone, he was merely sinki1
I'm slowly. There was prodigious fla
ping of wings about him. and we res
of lied what had happened. Two of t
irs enormous eagles had fastened the
he talons in his stout flannel shirt, and
to- weight, dragging them down. prevent
them from getting clear. Probab
I. l~o% =, str l. 4 ~