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 nest 

 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 

 shooting pain made my position clear. I was not 

 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 

 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 

 climbed quickly down into the tree. 



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

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



