It was decided that the farmer, who was not too mobile, should stay on Easy Terrace with his long stick, and one of the spare ropes. Then my companion and I made a detour and climbed above the ledge to a suitable belay. I now climbed down very steep rocks, being meanwhile held by my companion, until I could reach the tiny ledge on which the two were huddled. They seemed quite helpless and looked liable to fall off any minute. I now confirmed my previous impression that they were both feminine, one quite a youngster, but the other was older and carrying quite a lot of weight. They looked scared, but uninjured, and they didn’t make a sound. Just then the farmer pushed up his long stick, which was forked at the end, passing me thereby a rope containing two nooses a couple of yards apart. Acting on instructions from below, I slipped one noose over the head of each and a tug on the rope tightened the loop round their necks. I was rather horrified at this, but the farmer gave a strong pull and as my hands were occupied holding on, I just eased the bodies off the ledge with my boot, and I could hear them go clattering down the steep wall on to Easy Terrace! I thought it would harm their necks, but they didn’t seem to mind much. Apparently they had a fair amount to eat in the neighbourhood of the ledge, but the farmer said they could never have saved themselves, and would have gradually starved.
