THE GOLDEN EAGLE. 191 



some feet too short. It no where rested against the rock, 

 and being of very light construction, its o\^^l weight, 

 long as it was, caused it to make a concave line which 

 was unpleasant to look at. The lower ladder, the 

 craziest of the three, thirty-eight feet long, stood at an 

 angle of sixty degrees : the second which had been en- 

 tirely constructed during the night thirty-six feet long 

 and destined by me to occupy the central place as having 

 to support the greatest weight, stood perfectly perpen- 

 dicular ; the third, thirty-four feet in length, formed 

 an angle like the first, only in the contrary direction, 

 namely backwards. At the top it was full two feet from 

 the ep-ie, and leant against the lower part of it and on 

 the branches and interwoven boughs of which it was 

 built. 



The work, after all, when completed, did not look 

 very inviting; however, I asked the foresters and the 

 four wood-cutters if, now the ladder was raised, they had 

 the courage to go wp. But immediately each one an- 

 swered it was quite impossible ; and that whoever ven- 

 tured upon the topmost ladder, be he never so light, must 

 inevitably fall backwards. In short, they all asserted it 

 was an utter impossibility, as the ladder, not beino- 

 fastened at top, would slip on one side or the other; 

 inasmuch as the rope from the overhanging rock was 

 quite useless. If they were to get all the surrounding 

 territory for their pains, they said, nay, not for a million, 



