44 



THE FALL OF THE YEAR 



not break it. Suddenly, while I was resting between 

 the efforts, the thing gave way. 



I was wholly unprepared. All my weight was in- \ 

 stantly thrown upon my hands. The jagged sticks . 

 cut into my wrists, my grip was pried off, and I fell.< 



Once, twice, the stubs in the wall of the nestX 

 . caught and partly stopped me, then broke. I clutched 

 ;' frantically at them, but could not hold. Then, almost, 

 ? > before I realized that I was falling, I hung suspended' 

 ^ between two limbs the forks of the white oak; 

 branch in the side of the nest. 



I had been directly above it when the stub broke, 

 and had fallen through it ; and the two branches had 

 caught me right under both of my arms. 



For a second I was too dazed to think. Then a 

 swish of wings, a hard blow on the neck, and a, f 

 shooting pain made my position clear. I was not^-l 

 down yet nor out of danger. The angry birds still' 

 had me in reach. 



Hanging with one arm, I twisted round until the ' , 

 other arm was free, then seized the branches and 

 swung under, but not before the eagles had given v 

 me another raking dab. 



Here beneath the branches, close up to the bottom ? * 

 of the nest, I was quite out of the reach of the birds ; $ 

 and through the channel I had cut in my ascent, I o <. n 

 climbed quickly down into the tree. 



It was now a mere matter of sliding to the ground. ?' K .' 

 But I was so battered and faint that I nearly turn- 



