40 THE FALL OF THE YEAR 



I pushed off this loose stuff and the few heavy 

 timbers and found that the fork would. bear my 

 weight. It now projected a little way from the walls 

 of the nest. I got a firm hold on the forks out at 

 their ends, swung clear, and drew myself up between 

 them. After a lively scramble, I got carefully to my 

 feet, and, clutching the sticks protruding from the 

 side, stood up, with my eyes almost on a level with 

 the rim of the great nest. This was better than cut- 

 ting a channel, certainly — at least for the ascent, 

 and I was not then thinking of the descent. 



I looked over the protruding sticks of the rim. I 

 caught a glimpse of large dull white eggs ! 



Eggs of shining gold could not have so fascinated 

 me. There were thousands of persons who could have 

 gold eggs if they cared. But eagles' eggs ! Money 

 could not buy such a sight as this. 



I was more than ever eager now to get into the 

 nest. Working my fingers among the sticks of the 

 rim for a firm grip, I stuck my toes into the rough 

 wall and began to climb. At some considerable hazard 

 and at the cost of many rents in my clothing, I 

 wriggled up over the edge and into the hollow of 

 the nest where the coveted eggs lay. 



The eagles were wheeling, and screaming overhead. 

 The weird cac, cac, cac of the male came down from 

 far above me ; while the female, circling closer, would 

 swoop and shrill her menacing, maniacal half-laugh 

 almost in my ears. 



