CHAP. x. ASCENDS A PRECIPICE. 197 



In the roof, and near the front of the cave, a few 

 martens build their nests every season. As Edward 

 was coming home one morning from his night's work, 

 and while he was walking under the cliff, intending 

 to come out at Tarlair, he observed one of the mar- 

 tens flying out of the cave, and shot it. Instead of 

 dropping at his feet, it fell on the top of the cliff. 

 How was he to get at the bird ? He might have gone 

 round a considerable way, and thus reached the top 

 of the rock. But this would have involved the loss 

 of considerable time ; and he was anxious to get home 

 to his work. 



There was another way of getting at the bird, and 

 that was by scrambling directly up the face of the cliff. 

 He determined on adopting the latter course. Usually, 

 when ascending rocks, he used to tie his gun to his 

 back, as both hands were required to grip and clutch 

 the edges of the rock above him. But, on this 

 occasion, not wishing to lose further time by buck- 

 ling on his gun, he determined, dangerous though 

 it was, to ascend the precipice gun in hand. By 

 grasping the stones above him with his hands and 

 nails, and putting the tips of his shoes into the 

 crevices of the rocks, or sometimes only on to a 

 little tuft of grass, he contrived to haul himself up. 

 He managed very well until he reached about the 

 middle of the ascent, where a bend occurs in the 

 rocks. There he became fixed. To come down, 

 unless headlong was impossible ; and to go up seemed 



