450 The Bearded Vulture 
So I slipped into the gully and signalled ‘Lower away” and down 
I went for over 80 ft., making futile grabs at loose rocks, masses 
of saxifrage and plants, all of which came away in my hands 
together with a shower of stones and soft black soil. Suddenly 
I found myself scraping past a big projecting mass of rock and I 
knew I must be close upon the nest. The whistle was in my 
mouth (as it ever is in critical times) and I sounded on it shrilly 
‘Hold hard” and was brought up with a jerk, swinging clear of the 
cliff and exactly opposite the extreme right lower corner of the 
great nest. I was too far down to see into it. A push with my 
foot caused me to swing outwards and as I swung back and inwards 
I grabbed at the cliff and by good fortune secured a fair handhold. 
All I now required was a little more rope to permit of my hauling 
myself into the nest. So I whistled for more rope but got no 
response. Knowing well that it was simply a matter of time for my 
strength to become exhausted, I now strove to secure myself to 
the nest by the end of my rope. But no suitable point was to be 
found and all my attempts at getting a sound handhold amid the big 
sticks forming the foundations of the nest resulted in my simply 
pulling them out and causing that part of the structure to slide! 
A sketch of my unenviable situation at this instant is given at the 
beginning of the chapter. Meanwhile my vigorous signals for 
more rope were ignored and I came to the unpleasant conclusion 
that I must have reached the end of my rope! Looking down 
I could see the terrace only 50 ft. below me. If I could descend 
to it, I might, by altering the lead of my rope to the left, re-ascend 
on the proper line and enter the nest at its left side. Anything 
was preferable to attempting to re-ascend that detestable gully with 
its attendant loose rocks and mud bath. So I whistled again and 
again but in vain. Without doubt I must be at the end of my 
tether! Slowly but surely I felt my handhold relaxing and finally 
I lost my grip and, as I did so, swung outwards with a horrid 
