A BOLD CAPTURE.

■hittjou seen the eagles this morning ?" ■MHtay-Hwce. ; his brother Tom, "but Farhier Jlackay. He has iJliisjtjior lamb stolen, and actually saw jjniH bird carrying it off. He is Ilily angry, and says if something is not SB.to.pnt a etop to this little game, he he has got. I don't Bpylady eagle if she comes his way BfcWi carrying hie gun." \ Hiiajindtfoifl Eeece, well-built bty*.of Bj& tod eeveflteen respectively, wefe Spfflwiiagontheeast ?hore of the Shetland j«pkl, It was no difficult matter to \mj ikt they were Cockneys bred And Bfa, Iky were, in fact, the sons of the ■■taiiirJuteamer plying between London |Hj£Jj[Shetland ties. Availing them iSjfeii! the excftllont opportunity which iffltefar's position afforded for making :Bttn|tinh; they were now spending BNfcstof their midsummer holidays HifeWnie of their friend and school :H».<ta* MacCrewan. H Wed, or Zetland, as everyone is KW : ;tQ the north-east of Scotland. Hj*Uie Atlantic and the North Sea. known as Hialtland, and ■'WWjby some to be the Ultima Thule ■iltMtes;- It has an area of 325 ■!W elite, and ii composed of three Hs" e l* r g6St of which is spoken of as •■MinW; , Its surface is wild and : ■j' !t % tori the country is picturesque ;BP"*W.. The chief town of' Shetland ' fetern shore, 270 miles north ■ r™#. and is called Lerwiuk. The If*" lived three or four miles ilSp cm one of the most lonely bed a very jolly time to- Ifflln the greater portion of Billing. An object of interest, ■wr to?* of a pair of sea eagels, had ■JpW 'itsjif on a small island 'BCJ I *'""Jβ from the mainland, and ; ■j1 oet " , een Lenvick and Andrew's home. : Wi" e:yt % the lads pulled across to : Ht*S tlie aid of a telescope ■■Sl*"discern the nest of these noble Bte.iT' face of the cliff, which rose ■flilrt-T above the level of the sea - Birl'i ' ">*<*<*, they were compelled mC* °?.tM br Q w O f un opposite cliff, BuO" i d the ca s le ' B iiesb la y flifeL *y. ba y° r voe > butat such HifeiwS - ifc was impossible to say Bfe nf i wwean y young birds in tha ' IPWkI t rP reda,i ™3 of the kin»- of the flWd, • ' , howeve r. had become so KIT , *,* 8 laßt week or ten days B»S In8llch matters declared » J. yraa ' th emother musthavehatched B'sCiLk or ofcher of the farmers da y> but th o birds were y had been abl e to get near BCfejood shot at them ■Can' fiished peaking, Andrew W% vo3. < was a tal '. hand- B^4L eeventeen, whose broad BiouS erfu nirnbs were the re " fl^o!tr :S ?x? tchiefl y in the bracing BiXS 0 -' ■rTO=iP'*^"- he eded ' " another H^^ii-M^ v6 3«et Seen a funny thing. H i!l «tE WaßleUllto the Meadow l^WS 11 one of tfl e little pigs -■jiffiW'-wmeone was knifing ■S!SallT^ atwasthe matter > ■S^γ,?*! , ™th »er nose »Swr n h oneo£ &tt little rascals ' ; aN'h'eßa / a 6 veer siglit. There ■BS tff S ?° lnt »K the water 'Wt**to S-'i " Yon know this is B^Stt^ 6 ' She won't let a mthoat forcing on the main ' wSSi ''fe told ffie yesterday," ; B^lKf he Would willingly pay 1 You gee, many a -' over hangs the nest. -B©%?; It would be a ld do it ourselves. <-m now^atwaaveupto.-

I3ufc come on—we'll soon see whether it is possible to get at it. If it is, I for one will make the attempt." Arrived on the island, after a stiff row, the three lads immediately mounted to the ton of the cliff, whence a view of the cnglo 8 eyrie coiikl best; be obtained, and carefully scanned its position with a telescope, which they had not forgotten to bring with them. Thou they walked round to the top of the olin", in the face of which the nest was built, and made a minute examina tion of the spot. It was a giddy height, and When Tom gazed down upon the rocky beach; so many hundred feet below, he cried— " Andrew, old bo 3', it would be madness to attempt it; at least, it seems so to me at this moment." " I don't quite agree with you," Mac- Crewan replied, thoughtfully ; " I admit it is dangerous, but why could not we manage it as well as a cragsman? I have climbed many cliffs, though, of course, not so high as this." "But, I say, Andy, old boy," pub in Tom, "how would you geh down the face of the cliff? You would have, as the sailore say, to hold on with your eyebrows, and when you were down, how would you get up ? If nothing else happened, you would cut yourself to pieces, and perhaps not reach the nest after all." " Of course it would be necessary for me to have your help," Andrew went on, " and this is how it would have to be done ; we should drive a long stake, or, better still, a crowbar into the earth, and with a good rops once or twice twisted round it, both of you could ease me over the edge, and so down the facei of the crag. It seems to me very simple." "How low is the nest down? ,, asked Harry. " And there's another thing,_too," he continued quickly, as though an insur mountable difficulty had occurred to him, "how about the old birds? If what I've read and been told about eagles is true they will be sure to show fight." " As for the depth," replied Andrew, with an air of quiet self-confidence, " that is about forty feet. And as for a fight with the old birds, why I should not be soft enough to attempt the exploit without a pistol, and I know who would lend me a pistol for a tip. I feel very keen about it now, and if you fellows will promise to help me, I will try what I can do to-morrow." Admiringhis pluck andresolution, though at first painfully doubtful as to what the issue might be, both his friends were yet in their hearts eager that he should venture on the undertaking. Its peril fascinated them, and after a short time they declared their willingness to further his plans in every way. They then determined to make the attempt to attack the eagle's nest on the following morning an d at once pulled back to the mainland to prepare themselves for the ex ploit, , . , . Years a»o " the stern eagle of the tar north-west" made Shetland its home. Trapping and shooting, however, have rendeiedthe noble bird almost as extinct there as the wolf, and it is only very rarely thatapair of themsettle forany length of time among the deserted sea-girt rocks of the northern isles. The period of thie story is the autumn of 1380. Some three years previously two sea eagles suddenly appeared in the neigh bourhood, and took up their abode on the small island which has been referred to. But until this year they had not made the farmers uncomfortably aware of their pre sence. Their depredations now, however, became far more extensive and frequent than they had be'en during the preceding summer:!, and much indignation was felt throughout Shetland when it was found that every effort to keep them from the flocks had proved futile. A young crags man had threatened more than once to rob the eagle's nest, but his threats had, as yet, come to nothing, and few had urged him to undertake the task, inasmuch as few be lieved it possible. It was, of course, absolutely necessary that the three friends should keep their daring project a profound secret. No one would have dreamt of allowing them to attempt what at heart the cragsmen shunned, and it must bo confessed that i he more tho brothers thought about it the more doubt they entertained &a to its wisdom. Andrew MacCrewan, on tho other hand, grew more confident as the idea becamo more familiar, and nothing would have disappointed him so much as to be compelled to abandon it. Nor Mas his resolution hastily formed. Throughout the night he lay pondering deeply over every, detail as it presented it self to him. The thought of the glory of the achievement far outweighed way misgivings

he might havo had, and ho longed lor the morning to dawn. The sun had scu'coly been an hour above tho horizon when the friends stood upon the beach by tlio fido of the boat. Andrew had in his belt a thrcc-chambcrcd revolver, which he had borrowed from a neighbour ing farm ; in the boat was a basket des tined, he hoped, to hold tho eaglets. They had, too, a crowbar, a maliet, a npado, and many yards of ntout rope, With hearts as light us those of tho gulls sporting near tho water's surface, the trio pulled off to the island. Tho scene was as impressive as it was wild and beautiful. The morning was calm and clear ; the sea glowed with the rays of the quickly rising sun ; tho grass on tho cliff top was moist with tdlvery dew, the waves lippled with a gentlo splash among the rocks on tho beach below, and quiet reigned supreme everywhere. To drive the crowbar firmly into tho earth was the work of a very few minutes. Andrew cautiously placed the pistol in his belt, secured the basket over his shoulders, and his friends adjusted the ropo round hia chest and under his armpits. Then, twist ing it round the crowbar in a manner similar to that by which brewers lower their casks, the young hero stood upon the edge of tho precipice. As he glanced on to the boach below a sense of real danger for the first time dawned upon him. It was but for an in stant, however : ho dismissed it as quickly as it came, and turning himself about, began his descent. At intervals, on the rugged and irregular face of the crag, weeds, small bushes, root?, and projecting pieces of rock enabled him to ease liimself down and prevent the full weight of his body from straining too heavily upon the ropo, which was firmly held and gradually paid out by Harry and Tom. Inch by inch and foot by foot, down he went. The lower he found himself, the more perilous his situation became. A sudden jerk, a flaw in the tope or a too hasty loosening of it as it passed through his companions' hands would have meant not only failure in his purpose, but a frightful death. In the event of its giving way, the meagre foot and-hand hold which the weeds afforded would have availed him nothing. He would have fallen, a mangled corpse, on to the rocks at the base ot the cliff. Even a false movement in either himself or his friends mijjht have resulted in disaster. Of all this, however, he seemed utterly unconscious, and steadily lowered himself till his foot touched the ledge overhanging the nest. From the surveys of the spot which he had made, he believed that if he made his way below this piece of rock, he could manage to get into the eyrie. This indeed appeared the only possible means of reaching it, but when with immense difli culty he had so far descended that his legs were hanging below the projection, he dis covered to his dismay, that he was swinging in mid-air fully five feet from the nest. He hesitated. What was ho to do now ? The idea of his exploit ending simply as it began was not to be entertained. Nevertheless, he did not at first see what else was to come of it. For more than a minute he carefully examined the eyrie'rf position. Whilst doing so he caught a glimpse of an eaglet in the nest. This decided the question. He would get at the bird somehow, whatever might be tlie cost. Presently he called out to Harry and Tom to haul on to the rope and hoist him up a bit. When he was again on the top of tho projecting rock, lie proceeded to crawl a foot or two alcKiK it to where it narrowed inwards nearly even with the face of the crac. Once more lowering himself over it, at this point, he began working his way, by handrf and feet and by meaii3 of niches in the cliff, under the ledge towards the nest. The task was as delicate as it was difficult, but his patient and courage never flagged. In time he got close to the eyrie, ancfthen with one great effort, pulled himself up in it. It Ttas a long narrow opening and no _ high enough to allow of his standing upright. An eaglet and an egg were in the nest. As the bird—which apparently was about a week old—caught eight of the intruder, ij buried its bead in tbo soft down of its bed, and looked so snug and comfortable that at first young MacCrewan felt dis inclined to disturb it. Remembering, however, that its capture was for the public good, he began untying his basket with the intention of seizing the fledgling and popping him into it, when he heard his friends shouting frantically from above. " Look out, Andrew !" they cried, " tho old bird will bo upon you. She is coming at a tremendous pace."

Throwing himself partially on his back the adventurous youngster drew his pistol. Quick though hie movement was, he was only just, in timo. The onraped mother .swooped angrily down towards tho ncet. The lad pulled tho trigger, but the weapon missed iiro ! Without a moment's delay he pulled it again, mid n sharp report re echoed among the neighbouring rocky and dill's. As tho smoke cleared away ho saw that ho had effectually tcared tho savage bird of prey. She had down to some distance, and although whirling round and round tho spot, she gavo it a wide berth, and did not attempt to approach her enemy again. Still no time was to bo lost. Speedily liftinp the young bird and tho eg£ into tho basket and eeeiuing it (irmly, therefore, Andrew MacCrownn swung it onco more over his shoulder.*. It was much heavier than ho had anticipated, and ho found that it greatly interfered with the freo play of his limb.?. To crawl arid scramblo back by the aid of the niches in tho cliff faco, and up over tho projecting lodge wa« infinitely more diffi cult now than when, encumbered only by the empty basket, ho had made his way to wards the perilous place. It is probable that a spirit less stout than bin, even though it miglifc h'tvo been successful thus far, would hero havo failed, and tho heart and head of a lo.«s courageous cragsman would have turned sick aud giddy. The Her ore strain both of limb-s and nerves told even on Andrew's iron frame, and by the time he was fairly on his way up the face of the cliff again, he had become considerably exhausted. Onco he slipped and nothing but the sterling qualities of the rope could have caved him from destruction. During the whole vi that trying climb he kept a head as cool an J collected as it was before lie commenced tho exploit. Pluck alone carried it to a successful issue, and when at last his two friends grasped hia hand and pulled him into safety, they gavo a ringing cheer of delight and admira tion. A eplended feat had boon accom plished without mishap. The three boys were not long in rowing back to the mainland with their prize. News of the affair spread fast. Andrew became an hero, and for weeks afterwards his name was on everyone's lips. Some almost doubted whether he could really have done tho deed. To testify _ their appreciation of his pluck and daring, a subscription was instantly started. With tho proceeds a handsome silver cup was bought and presented to him as a small recognition of the service he had rendered tho neighbourhood. On the testimonial, besides his own name, those of Harry and Tom Recce - without whose help he could never have robbed the nest—were inciden tally inscribed. The eaglet was successfully reared and is still living. The parent birds hovered for a timo over tho place of its captivity at Lerwick, but finding all hopes of its restora tion vain, they eventually left Shetland and havo not been seen there eince. Harry and Tom Keeco and Andrew MacCrewan, now in their first manhood, each pay a periodical visit to the bird, which has grown to a magnificent and kingly .size. It is an object of admiration and pride, and tho story of its bold capture is almost the first which the stranger to that part of Shetland will hear.

THE AUCKLAND EVENING STAB, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4 1887.

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