6. "But, captain, it is impossible," said the mate, pointing to the surf breaking on the sharp rocks. "Whoever should attempt to run such a risk would certainly be dashed to pieces."

7. "Well," said the captain, in a low tone, "we must all die together." At this moment, there was a slight stir among the sailors, who were silently waiting for orders.

8. "What is the matter there?" inquired the captain. 9. " Captain," replied a sailor, "this little cabin-boy is asking to swim to the shore, with a strong string round his body to draw the cable after him ;" and he pushed Jacques into the midst of the circle.

10. "Nonsense! such a child can't go," said the captain, roughly.

11. But Jacques was not of a character to be so easily discouraged. "Captain," said he, timidly, "you don't wish to expose the lives of good sailors like these; it does not matter what becomes of a little cabin-boy. Give me a ball of strong string, which will unroll as I go on, fasten one end round my body, and I promise you that, within an hour, the rope shall be well fastened to the shore, or I will perish in the attempt."

12. Does he know how to swim?" asked the captain.

13. "As swiftly and as easily as an eel," replied cne of the crew:

14. "I could swim up the Seine from Havre to Paris," said little Jacques. The captain hesitated, but the lives of all on board were at stake, and he yielded.

15. Jacques hastened to prepare for his terrible undertaking. Then he turned, and softly approached the captain. "Captain," said he, "as it is not impossible that I may be lost, may I ask you to take charge of some

16. " Certainly, my boy," said the captain, who was almost repenting that he had yielded to his entreaties. 17. "Here, then, captain," replied Jacques, holding out two five-franc pieces, wrapped in a bit of rag; “if I am eaten by the porpoises, and you get safe to land, be so kind as to give this to my mother, who lives on the quay at Havre; and will you tell her that I thought of her, and that I love her very much, as well as all my brothers and sisters ?

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18. "Be easy about that, my boy. If you die for us, and we escape, your mother shall never want for anything." 'Oh, then, I will willingly try to save you," cried Jacques, hastening to the other side of the vessel, where all was prepared for his enterprise.

"We ought

19. The captain thought for a moment. not to allow this lad to sacrifice himself for us in this way," said he, at length. "I must forbid it."

20. " Yes, yes," said some of the sailors near him; "it is disgraceful to us all that this little cabin-boy should set us an example of courage; and it would be a sad thing if the brave child should die for old men like us, who have lived our time. Let us stop him!”

21. They rushed to the side of the vessel, but it was too late. They found there only the sailor who had aided Jacques in his preparations, and who was unrolling the cord that was fastened to the body of the heroic boy. They all leaned over the side of the vessel to see what was going to happen, and a few quietly wiped away tears which would not be restrained.

22. At first, nothing was seen but waves of white foam, mountains of water which seemed to rise as high as the mast, and then fell with a thundering roar. Soon the practiced eye of some of the sailors perceived a little black point, rising above the waves, and then, again, distance prevented them from distinguishing it.

They anxiously watched the cord, and tried to tell, by its quicker or slower movement, the fate of him who was unrolling it.

23. This anxiety lasted more than an hour; the ball of string continued to be unrolled, but at unequal periods. At length, it slipped slowly over the side of the vessel, and often fell as if slackened. They thought Jacques must have much difficulty in getting through the surf.

24. "Perhaps it is the corpse of the poor boy that the sea is tossing backwards and forwards in this way," said some of the sailors. The captain was deeply grieved that he had permitted the child to make the attempt; and, notwithstanding the desperate situation in which they were, all the crew seemed to be thinking more of the boy than of themselves.

25. All at once, a violent pull was given to the cord. This was soon followed by a second, then by a third. It was the signal agreed upon to tell them that Jacques had reached the shore.

26. They hastened to fasten a strong rope to the cord, which was drawn on shore, as fast as they could let it out, and firmly fastened by some of the people who had come to the help of the little cabin-boy. By means of this rope, many of the shipwrecked sailors reached the shore and found means to save the others.

27. The little cabin-boy was long ill from the consequences of his fatigue, and from the bruises he had received by being dashed against the rocks. But he did not mind that; for, in reward of his bravery, his mother received a yearly sum of money, which placed her above the fear of want. Little Jacques rejoiced in having suffered for her, and, at the same time, in having saved so many lives. He felt that he had been abundantly rewarded.

1

FROM

IV.. THE EAGLE'S NEST.

ROM the mountain-path came a joyous sound of some person, whistling; and it betokened good-humor and undaunted courage. It was Rudy, going to meet his friend Vesinaud. "You must come and help," said he. "I want to carry off the young eaglet from the top of the rock. We will take young Ragli with us.”

2. "Had you not better first try to take down the moon? That would be quite as easy a task," said Vesinaud. "You are a daring fellow, but it is of no use; you will break your neck."

3. "No one falls unless he is afraid," said Rudy. So, at midnight, they set out, carrying with them poles, ladders, and ropes. The road lay amidst brush-wood and under-wood, over rolling stones, always upwards- higher and higher in the dark night. Waters roared beneath, or fell in cascades from above. Humid clouds were driving through the air as the hunters reached the precipitous ledge of the rock. It was even darker here, for the sides of the rocks almost met, and the light penetrated only through a small opening at the top.

4. At a little distance from the edge could be heard the sound of the roaring, foaming waters in the yawning abyss beneath them. The three seated themselves on a stone to await, in stillness, the dawn of day, when the parent eagle would fly out; as it would be necessary to shoot the old bird before they could think of gaining possession of the young one. Rudy sat motionless, as if he had been part of the stone on which he sat. He held his gun ready to fire, with his eyes fixed steadily on the highest point of the cliff, where the eagle's nest lay concealed beneath the overhanging rock.

5. The three hunters had a long time to wait. At

last, they heard a rustling, whirring sound above them; and a large hovering object darkened the air. Two guns were ready to aim at the dark body of the eagle as it rose from the nest. Then a shot was fired; for an instant, the bird fluttered its wide-spreading wings, and seemed as if it would fill up the whole of the chasm, and drag down the hunters in its fall. But it was not so; the eagle sank gradually into the abyss beneath, and the branches of trees and bushes were broken by its weight.

6. Then the hunters roused themselves; three of the longest ladders were brought and bound together; the topmost round of these ladders would just reach the edge of the rock which hung over the abyss, but no more. The point, beneath which the eagle's nest lay sheltered, was much higher, and the sides of the rock were as smooth as a wall.

7. After consulting together, they determined to bind together two more ladders, and to hoist them over the cavity, and so form a communication with the three beneath them, by binding the upper ones to the lower. With great difficulty, they contrived to drag the two ladders over the rock, and there they hung for some moments, swaying over the abyss; but no sooner had they fastened them together, than Rudy placed his foot on the lowest step.

8. It was a bitterly cold morning; clouds of mist were rising from beneath, and Rudy stood on the lower step of the ladder as a fly rests on a piece of swinging straw, which a bird may have dropped from the edge of its nest; the insect could fly away, if the straw were shaken; Rudy could only break his neck. The wind whistled around him; and the waters of the abyss beneath him, swelled by the thawing of the glaciers, those