could not fly away itself, the new-comer seized its wounded mate with
its beak and claws, and, half carrying it, helped it to fly slowly away
to the mountain-side, where it put it down, as it thought, in a safe
place. For a whole week the men on the farm saw it, day after day,
carrying food to the disabled bird. It would have been quite easy for
them to have killed both the eagles during this time; but the farmer
forbade his men to molest them in any way, because he was so pleased at
the affection and courage the one had shown on behalf of the other.
After a time the wounded eagle got well, and they both flew away.

[Illustration: "The eagle seized its wounded mate with its beak and
claws."]

[Illustration: "Wootton stood quite upright on the pinnacle of the
steeple."]

STEEPLE-CLIMBERS.

Cleverness or skill in doing some particular thing has been noticed to
recur in families, and steeple-climbing is one example, we are told. At
Nottingham there was a family named Wootton, members of which had for
centuries the reputation of being daring steeple-climbers, not for
adventure, but in the way of business. Such persons were also called
steeplejacks, and they were paid liberally for their exploits, as they
deserved to be.

Robert Wootton, who lived in the time of King George III., was famous
for repairing steeples and spires without using a scaffold; he did his
work by the help of ladders, hooks, and ropes. When he repaired St.
Peter's spire, Nottingham, in 1789, having finished his work, he beat a
drum at its top, thousands of people looking on. Another of the Woottons
undertook the perilous task of ascending the spire of St. Mary's,
Manchester, which was very lofty. By a tremendous wind the ball and
cross had been bent down, and looked dangerous. This steeple-climber
raised ladders one after the other, assisted by blocks and ropes, and
secured each in succession to the stonework with clamps. When he got
near the top of the spire the work became more difficult, and the
spectators anxiously watched him as he fixed the last ladder. Having
accomplished this feat, Wootton stepped from the ladder on to the crown
or pinnacle of the steeple, and stood quite upright, with his hands
free. Then he raised a cheer, which was responded to by the crowds
below. More extraordinary still, one of these steeple-climbers is said
to have performed the feat of standing upon his head on a steeple's top;
but there is some doubt abou