THE MUSEUM. 



29S 



m3-self once been an eg^^-collector, I 

 felt quite a return of my former enthu- 

 siasm at his account, and determined 

 to try to reach the nest, if only for the 

 excitement connected with the under- 

 taking. 



Accordingly I obtained leave of ab- 

 sence for a few days, and having en- 

 listed my friend Mr. B , of Chica- 

 go, in the enterprise, on the following 

 morning we set out for the southern 

 foot-hills and the eagle's nest. We 

 were well provided for 'all emergencies, 

 having in the buckboard, in addition to 

 a plentiful supply of food and robes, 

 our rifles and revolvers, several hun- 

 dred feet of rope, a pair of climbing 

 irons and a prospector's bag. 



As our destination was distant 35 

 miles, and the mountain roads, at no 

 time the smoothest, were then badly 

 cut up by spring freshets, we drove 

 through as far as a "camp" just beyond 

 the mountains and "put up" for the 

 night. 



The next morning we took an early 

 start, and, with better roads and fresh 

 horses, traveled the few remaining 

 miles in a couple of hours, and about 

 9 o'clock came in sight of the nest. 

 The "cowpuncher" had, indeed, spok- 

 en the truth in saying the eyrie was 

 hard to approach. 



A large "butte" rose five or six hun- 

 dred feet up from the plain, its sides 

 so steep as to be almost precipitous, 

 while on the side nearest, a creek 

 which we had followed for several 

 miles, was a limestone cliff sheer up 

 and down for about three hundred 

 feet. About half way up its face on a 

 ledge, was the nest, a great black ob- 

 ject, that contrasted strangely with its 

 yellowish white background. . 



We took in the situation and nat- 

 urally decided to ascend the butte to a 

 point directly over the nest. So after 

 unhitching and tethering the bronchos 

 and taking out the paraphernalia, we 

 worked our way around the butte to a 

 side somewhat less steep than the 

 greater part of it, and began the 

 ascent, and after half an hour's 

 stumbling and slipping among the icy 

 rocks, scrub pines and cacti we found 

 ourselves above the cliff, and as nearly 

 as we could judge, directly above the 

 nest. Here, fortunately, the small 

 gnarled trees were thick, affording us 

 a means of support. 



In the meantime we had only no- 

 ticed one of the eagles, a monstrous 

 bird, that slowly sailed around only a 

 little above our heads, but had as yet 

 showed no sign of hostility. My friend 

 now proceeded to tie one end of the 

 rope secure!}' around my chest; then, 

 running the other end around a stout 

 scrub, he braced himself firmly and 

 stood ready to "pay out" the rope as 

 needed. Thus secured • against any 

 probable accident, I carefully made 

 my way down to the edge of the cliff 

 and fired my revolver. Directly the 

 other eagle came soaring out from the 

 cliff and began circling around, giving 

 vent to shrill screams or whistles. We 

 both now concluded that probably the 

 birds would not venture to attack us 



so B^ • got ready to lower me over 



the edge. If the birds should not 

 prove hostile everything pointed in 



success, for Mr. B is a man of 



great strength and the rope was war- 

 ranted. So, first seeing that my bag 

 was secured, and revolver in easy 

 reach, I gave him the word and in an- 

 other moment was dandling in the air. 



