106 



THE CONDOR 



Vol. XX 



which bounded and smashed down the slope. Then, standing on Burns 's shoul- 

 ders, who in turn was braced by Oslar and myself, Neidrach commenced oper- 

 ation with hammer and chisel; but the material was hard and progress slow, 

 and as the crevice made a bend beyond which he could neither see, feel nor lo- 

 cate with feelers, we abandoned it for the day. 



Next day we packed in a six-foot ladder from which Neidrach resumed 

 \\ ork, the bird being seen to enter the nest and to leave again. The ladder was 

 steadied by Burns and Oslar, and after much work in cutting with pick, ham- 

 mer and chisels, and bar, a falling rock suddenly struck Burns on the head, 

 knocking him to the ground senseless for several minutes. Only quick action 

 on the part of Oslar and myself saved Neidrach from taking a header from the 



Fig, 



16. Making the second lift to reach the site of nest number two; W. C. Brad- 

 bury IN FOREGROUND. 



sliding ladder, and the work on that prospect was abandoned. Several other 

 crevices were located that were inaccessible from above, though among them 

 there were two about forty feet up and ten feet apart that it seemed might pos- 

 sibly be reached by ladders from below. 



The next day I had hauled from the village and carried up the slope a six- 

 teen-foot painter's ladder, and proceeded to work at the last-named prospects. 

 The ladder was held by two men, while the third mounted to the first bench, 

 where he supported the upper end of the ladder until the two others joined 

 him. Then the ladder was drawn up, placed, and held almost by main strength 

 on the uneven, crumbling footing, while the first available site was carefully 

 explored. This proved to contain an unfinished nest only. The other prospect 



