He gave the ladders a swinging motion--as the spider swings herself by
her long thread--he seized them with a strong and steady hand, but
they shook as if they had worn-out hasps.

The five long ladders looked like a tremulous reed, as they reached
the nest and hung perpendicularly over the rocky wall. Now came the
most dangerous part; Rudy had to climb as a cat climbs; but Rudy could
do this, for the cat had taught it to him. He did not feel that
Vertigo trod in the air behind him and stretched her polypus-like arms
towards him. Now he stood on the highest round of the ladder and
perceived that he was not sufficiently high to enable him to see into
the nest; he could reach it with his hands. He tried how firm the
twigs were, which plaited in one another formed the bottom of the
nest; when he had assured himself of a thick and immoveable one, he
swung himself off of the ladder. He had his breast and head over the
nest, out of which streamed towards him a stifling stench of carrion;
torn lambs, chamois and birds lay decomposing around him. Vertigo, who
had no power over him, blew poisonous vapours into his face to stupify
him; below in the black, yawning abyss, sat the Ice-Maiden herself, on
the hastening water, with her long greenish-white hair and stared at
him with death-like eyes, which were pointed at him like two rifle
barrels.

"Now, I shall catch you!"

Seated in one corner of the eagle's nest was the eaglet, who could not
fly yet, although so strong and powerful. Rudy fastened his eyes on
it, held himself with his whole strength firmly by one hand, and with
the other threw the noose around it. It was captured alive, its legs
were in the knot; Rudy cast the rope over his shoulder, so that the
animal dangled some distance below him, and sustained himself by
another rope which hung down, until his feet touched the upper round
of the ladder.

"Hold fast, do not think that you will fall and then you are sure not
to do so!" That was the old lesson, and he followed it; held fast,
climbed, was sure not to fall and he did not.

There resounded a strong _jodling_, and a joyous one too. Rudy stood
on the firm, rocky ground with the young eaglet.

VIII.

THE NEWS WHICH THE PARLOUR-CAT RELATED.

"Here is what you demanded!" said Rudy, on entering the house of the
miller at Bex, as he placed a large basket on the floor and took off
the covering. Two yellow eyes, with black circles around them, fiery
and wi