THE GOLDEN EAGLE. 195 



nest; so that I was obliged to trust all my weight to 

 the branches that composed it. Boring my hands and 

 arms as far as I could into the immense fabric of boughs 

 and branches, I carefully tested them all till I found 

 one that I could neither snap in two nor drag out: 

 grasping this firmly, I thus got on the topmost round of 

 the ladder — one hundred and ten feet high; but even 

 now I could only lean my chin firmly against a stick on 

 the outermost edge of the nest, while with both arms I 

 held fast on its surface. Just before me lay a half 

 putrid dead animal, alive with a million of worms, and 

 there was a stench enough to knock one down from the 

 ladder. However, in my unsafe position there was little 

 time for giving due attention to all this abomination. 

 When I had gained a firm hold, I allowed myself to 

 stretch my back and knees, somewhat ; by doing so I 

 gained half a foot, which just enabled me to peep into 

 the nest, where to my despair, I made the discovery that 

 the young bird was sitting in the very hindermost corner, 

 four feet away from me. On gaining sight of him, I 

 held doubly tight with my left hand, and saluted the 

 young scion of a royal race with due respect, taking 

 off my cap to him, and waving it with a shout to the 

 men below. I now cast a look at the hoii iehold arrange- 

 ments of the eyrie, and discovered at least half a dozen 

 roe and chamois kids, several hares, black cock, a weasel, 

 &c., all half devoured, half decomposed, besides a mass 



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