mpossible to proceed in an upright position; he therefore crept along
on all fours, or sat astride the ridge and urged himself on with his
hands and feet.

Thus with extreme difficulty he pursued his perilous way toward the end
of the ridge on which he knew the eyrie was built. But presently he saw
the nest, and could hear the young birds piping, which gave him new
strength and determination. At this juncture a loud scream overhead
caused him to look up, and he was alarmed to see the female vulture
wheeling round the nest with a young goat in her talons. With this new
danger menacing him, the young cragsman lay flat down on the rock, and
remained motionless, while he offered up an earnest prayer to Heaven
that the bird might not discover him. He knew the peril which threatened
him, for he had often heard of the fury with which the vulture attacks
any one who attempts to rob its nest. He had heard of many cragsmen who
had lost their lives in that way, and his own position was by no means
the most favorable to defend himself against attack. His short and
earnest prayer was not in vain. The young birds screeched louder and
louder as they saw the prey in their mother's talons; and after the
vulture had further tempted their appetite by one or two more majestic
sweeps, she dropped the dainty morsel into the nest, where it was at
once seized. After assisting her young ones to make a good beginning of
their meal, the mother-bird unfolded her powerful wings, and glided into
the valley beneath with the speed of an arrow.

"Heaven be thanked, I am saved!" murmured Walter, as he rose from his
uncomfortable position and wiped the perspiration from his forehead. "I
must lose no time now, or perhaps one or both the old birds may return."

He pressed on with redoubled energy till an event occurred, unimportant
in itself, but which caused him some uneasiness, and reminded him of the
need of caution. The rock in places was fragile and split up by the
weather, and with a slight touch of his foot he loosened an immense
fragment of stone, which went rolling down the side of the mountain till
it reached a projecting ledge hundreds of feet below. A pang of terror
shot through the boy's heart, and his face blanched, as he watched the
stone thundering over the obstacles in its way until it disappeared in a
cloud of dust. It seemed as if the whole mountain trembled beneath him;
a mist bleared his eyes; and as the blood rushed to his head, a de