The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1913-06-27
over A PREC|P|CE.
Nerve Racking Experience of a
Hunter In the TyroI.
W heaven AND EARTH.

pair Of golden eagles were ravaging tn.
valleys of poultry and small game and
found that they had their aerie on II
certain mountainside. Being Of an ad
v%enturous disposition he obtained the
services Of several w~oodcutters AMI
started out before dawn determined t.
capture tho young eagle that was he
ieved to be In the nest.
When the party ascended the noun
tain and looked over the edge of tn.
perpendicular cliff they could zee Il
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 ifty fathom
half inch rope to the stump of u tree
dxed a block. Of wood against the edge
Of the cliff for the rope to run over. fas
tened an iron hook In the ~crevice Of the
rocks and prepared to lower the Eng
ishman 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 q strong piece
of wood was knotted. and the English
man. seated himself astride it.
With a rife on bis back. a revoIve,
In his pocket. a big knife in his belt
and a long pole in 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 tw"
rifles.
The descent lasted ten or fifteen min
utes. Then the Englishman found Kim.
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
w1s able to draw himself In and pres
emily was gazing cautiously over the
edge Of the nest, which. to his u
prise. contained not one eaglet. but
two.
One Of them, not without a lively
struggle. he put into the canvas bag de
had brought for the purpose. The
other he finally managed to secure BY
running q Dol ove 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 pull that wrenched the pole
from bis 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 E~nglishman had the presence Of
mind to do II. 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 a paralyzed
feeling In his legs and q twitching sen
sation in his back and loins.
Just then a dark object dashed by
him. 1t passed In such close prox.
unity that the man felt the rush Of air
produced BY its digit. At irst he sup
posed 1t to be a falling stone. but pres
emily he perceived that instead Of being
drawn upward he al quite stationary.
One hour passed. then two. and still
be hung motionless at the end of the
rop. He could Of course form nc idea
Of what had happened. The strange
situation finally got upon his nerves
He imagined that he had been aban.
doned and must swing there till he lost
his hold and fell to his death OF until
the parent eagles should return and
pluck out his eyes. To add to his mis-
fortunes. a sharp thunderstorm came
On that wet him to the skin and nearly
blinded him with lightning.
At last. when be had hung thus be-.
tween heaven and earth for more than
three hours. he felt a tug upon the
rope and in fifteen minutes was at the
top with his two prizes.
Then be found that the falling OBJ
ject was the block on which the rope
had run. It had had to be replaced.
lest the rope should be cut BY the sharp
edge Of the rock. and the long delay
had been caused BY the necessity Of
sending the one man ut the top down
- ths base of the mountain 70 cut =
small tree ana make 4 second block.
.lEtHaaet@ A...s-- - AA---A-s .-g .T