Year: 1875

face OF the precipice, shutting out all view
of crevice which we had deserted from
the bottom, and which, rs we anticipated
contained the evrie.


Alter consulting some time, we decided
to lower ourselves down to this rockband
and make it the base of our further move
ments, instead OF operating, as we had
intended, from the crest of the cliff. where
everything but for this obstacle would
have been tentold easier. Posting one of
the men at the top OF the cliff to lower the
heavy rope, three hundred feet in length,
by means of cord, was descended to the
ledge, which was nowhere more than
three feet in width, and in several places
scarcely ever foot and half Standing
in single row on this miniature plat
form, we had to manipulate the rope with
a yawning gulf some eight hundred feet
in depth beside us, and nothing to lay
hold of for support but the smooth face Of
the rock


We began operations by driving a strong
iron hook into the solid rock, at point
some two or three feet above the ledge
Through this hook the rope was passed,
one end pending over the cliff; and to OBJ
vate the peril of its being frayed and
speedily severed by the sharp outer edge
OF our platform, we rugged up a block Of
wood with some iron stays to serve as an
immovable pulley. These preparations
completed, the men were assigned to their
respective positions. Hansel and Tomerl
two renowned shots were to lie at full
length. rifle in hand, one at each end Of
the row. to act as my guardian angels if
| We're surprised and attacked by the old
eagles while engaged in the work Of spoli-
alton The remaining wood-cutters. with
the exception of the one who had been
lett on the top of the cliff, We're placed in
file along the ledge to lower and raise the
plank which was to serve as my seat and
to which the rope was securely fastened
after being passed through an iron ring
attached to my stout leathern girdle A
signal line was to hang at my side, and a
hunting knife, revolver, a strong canvas
bag to hold the booty, and an ashen pole
iron-shod at one end and provided with a
strong iron boat-hook at the other, COM
pleted my equipment, each article ofwhich
had undergone the strictest scrutiny be-
fore its adoption.


sci, let myself glide over the edge of
Iilt CliIi, .tiltt lllC lItAU lllOlIltub uluS III
empty space. After being lowered about
eighty feet, found myself on level with
the creyice before mentioned and gave
the preconcerted signal for arresting my
downward progress. Owing. however, to
a beetiing crag or boulder which overhung
the recess, was still at distance Of ten
or twelve feet horizontally from the goal.
Fixing the boat-hook into a convenient
indentation Of the rock, gradually pulled
myself in till | reached the face of the
wall. Then leaving the plank, | crawled
up an inclined slab of rock which led in
the actual crevice, until | was stopped by
barrier of dry sticks about two feet in
height. Raising myself on my knees, |
peered into the oval-shaped eyrie, and
saw perched up at the farther side two
splendid young golden eagles.


1t is very rare occurrence to find two
young eagles in one eyrie. These, though
only four OF five weeks Old were tormid-
able birds, measuring considerably over
six feet in the span, and displaying beaks
and talons Of imposing size. 1t took some
time to capture and pinion these powerful
and refractory ornithological specimens
whose loud, discordant screams caused me
several times to glance involuntalilv over
my shoulder at the strip of horizon visible.
to assure myself that the old ca gles were
not SWuupng a~-n 10 une rescue. was
in the more haste to leave the eyrie that
the stencil which emanated from the re-
mains of numerous victims strewn in and
about it was something terrific. These
relics, which had the curiosity to count,
consisted of a halt-devoured carcass of i
f.l, dI,a -
and the corresponding bones of the ami
mails, the skeleton OF a goat picked clean,
the remains of an Alpine hare, and the
head and neck Of Il tawn


The canvas bag being too small to CON
tain both the eaglets, | was obliged to
hang one of them to my bet, alter tying
my handkerchief round his beak The
game secured, crept cautiously down the
slab to the plank, and fixing the hook OF
my pole in the indentation of which | had
made use in drawing myself in, ! gave
the preconcerted two jerks with the sig
nal-line. Now occurred the first Of Il
series of accidents which came near re-
sulting fatally to the whole party. Con-
trary to my strict iniunctions, the men
hauling the rope gave q sudden and vio-
lent pull, wrenching the pole from my
grasp, and communicating to the plank a
motion like that of pendulum, which
sent me flying out into space, with the mn
mediate prospect Of being dashed by the
retrograde swing against the solid wall of
rock. Happily, preserved my presence
of mind, and grasped instantly the only
chance OF escape. Tilting myself back
as far as the rope and the ring on my belt
allowed, and stretching out my legs hori-
zontally, | awaited the contact Half a
second later came a heavy blow on the
soles of my feet, the pain OF which ran
through my whole frame like the shock of
a galvanic battery Had it been my head,
the reader would probably never have
been troubled with any account OF my
sensations AS it was, my feet, though
protected by immensely heavy iron-shod
shoes, received a conclusion the effects of
which continued to be felt for weeks


Almost at the momert of this incident
had noticed dark object shooting past
me, at so close a proximity that distinct
ly heard the whistling sound as It cleft the
air. Supposng it to be a stone, l gave it
presently occupied by a sharp cash which
eHC SouHsSz odSlt dt lily oeIt HltIaSeu W
infict Oh my left thigh. 1t was not until
had stopped the hemorrhage by strewing
some grains of powder into the wound
that perceived with surprise that was
still stationary, instead of ascending as in
due course | ought to have been. The
boulder of rock projecting few feet over
my head prevented any view OF the ledge,
and my shouts inquiring the cause of the
delay received indistinct answers. the
words ''patience" and ''wat'' being the
only Ineligible ones These might have
had a consoling influence but for the fact
that a thunderstorm-an occurrence Of
great frequency in the beginning Of sum-
mer in the High Alps-was one that ex-
posed me to its full fury without any pos
slbility of escape. Ere long it burst over
my head, drenching me to the skin in the
first five inmates, while the lightning play
ed about me in every direction, and ter
rifle claps of thunder followed each other
at intervals of scarcely few seconds.
What heightened the danger as well as
the absurdity Of my situation was the
chance that ono or both of tho old ao OloS