No nervous qualms troubled him, and the thought of falling never once came into his head.
Lower and lower, with the sun beating upon his back, and the ravens croaking more and more loudly, and getting more threatening.
"Just wait till I get down to the bush, my fine fellows," he said aloud.
"Then you may come on if you like, and I should like to see you do it; only look out, for it means spitting yourselves.

Glad I brought my sword." He was now only about ten feet above the bush; and as he held on for a few moments and looked down, he saw that there was a good-sized ledge in front of a cranny, in which the nest must be, and upon this ledge, bones, bits of wool, feathers, and remains of rabbits' fur, were scattered, showing how hard the old birds had worked to feed their young.
He saw, too, something else which completely upset one of his plans, which was, to continue his descent right to the bottom of the cliff, after securing the young ravens; for the strata retired for some distance below the bush, and he grasped at once the fact, that he must return by the way he descended.
"Wish I had a bag with me," he thought, as he heard a peculiar squeaking arise from beneath his feet.

"Never mind: I'll tie their legs together with my handkerchief, or thrust them into toy breast." _Croak_--_croak_--_craw_--_awk_! came from one of the ravens, as it swept by him with a rush.
"Wait a minute, my fine fellow, or madam," said the boy.

"Hard for you, perhaps; but how many chickens and ducklings have you stolen?
how many unfortunate lambs have you blinded this spring?
Can't have ravens here.
Hah! that's it." For upon forcing his hands well into a fault in the rock, he had lowered his feet and found good foot-hold on the ledge, lowered himself a little more, and saw that he could easily sit down, hold on by his left hand, the stout bush being ready, and draw out a pair of well-grown nestlings as soon as he liked.
"I'm afraid, Master Rayburn, that if there are eggs I should get them broken if I put them in my pocket," he said aloud; "and if they do break, phew! It would be horrible.

Ah, put them in my cap.