Smyrna times., 1912-10-02
over A PRECIPICE.
Nerve Racking Experience of a
Hunter In the TyroI.
BETWEEN HEAVEN AND EARTH.

Peris the Daring AdVenturer BraVsd
to Rob Golden Eagles Nest of Its
Young and the Anxious Hours He
Spent Dangling In Terror In Mid Air.
An Englishman who was spending
his vacation in the TyrOl learned that
pair of golden eagles were ravaging the
valleys of poultry and small game and
found that they had their aerie on a
certain mountainside. Being of an ad
venturous disposition he obtained the
services of several wOodcutters and
started out before dawn determined to
capture the young eagle that was be
heved to be in the nest.
When the party ascended the noun
tain and looked over the edge of the
perpendicular cliff they could see
ledge about 100 feet below them. One
of the party remained at the top while
the others lowered themselves to the
ledge by means of a rope.
Here they fastened a fifty fathOm
half inch rope to the stump of a tree
fixed a block of wood against the edge
tened an iron hook in the crevice of the
rocks and prepared to lower the Eng
lishman to the aerie, which they could
now see far below.
A stout leather belt was fastened
round his waist. with an iron ring in
front, through which the rope passed.
To the end of the rope a strong piece
Of wood was knotted, and the English
man seated himself astride it.
With a rife on his back, a revolver
in his pocket. a big knife in his belt
and long pole il his hands he was
ready to start. Five men took hold of
the rope, while two others lay fat upon
the rocks. rifles in hand. looking over
the edge of the cliff. If the old birds
should attack the intruder his life
would probably depend upon those two
rifles.
The descent lasted ten or fifteen min
utes. Then the Englishman found him
self opposite the eagles ledge. He
jerked the signal line He was ten
or twelve feet from the ledge, but with
the hooked end of his long pole he
was able to draw himself in and pres
emily, was gazing cautiously over the
edge of the nest. which, to his sur
prise. contained not one eaglet. but
two.
One of them. not without a lively
struggle. he put into the canvas bag he
had brought for the purpose. The
other he finally managed to secure by
| running a moose over its feet. He tied
the bag to the signal cord. arranged
himself upOn his wooden seat took the
second bird in his left hand and gave
the signal The men on the ledge
above. contrary to instructions. gave a
vigorous pun that wrenched the pole
from his hands and sent him away
from the cliff at a frightful pace. The
return swing was likely to dash him
against the rock with deadly force.
There was but one thing to do, and
the Englishman had the presence OF
mind to do it He tilted the upper part
Of his body backward and his legs for
ward and struck the rock with his feet
with no worse result than paralyZed
feeling in his legs and a twitching sen
sation in his back and loins.
Just then a dark object flashed by
him It passed in such close prOx
unity that the man felt the rush of all
produced by its fight At first he sup
posed it to be falling stone. but pres
emily he perceived that instead Of beinl
drawn upward he was quite stationary
One hour passed then two. and stil
he hung mOtionless at the end Of th'
rOp He could of course form no ide;
of what had happened The strang,
situation finally got upon his nerves
He imagined that ne had been aban
dOned and must swing there till he los
his hold and fell to his death or unit
the parent eagles should return an,
pluck out his eyes. TO add to his mis-
fortunes. a sharp thunderstorm cam
on that wet him to the skin and nearl
blinded him with lightning
At last. when he had hung thus be
tween heaven and earth for more tha
rope and in fifteen minutes was at tn
top with his two prizes.
Then he found that the falling oil
I was the block on which the rop
uad run. 1t had had to be replace,
lest the rope should be cut by the shar
edge Of the rock. and the long della
had been caused by the necessity {
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