Part 6 (2/2)
said Sam
”That is in all probability the correct solution of the difficult proble time troubled many medical men and others,”
said Mr Ross
”Are there any other birds in this country with claws or talons equal to those of this great owl?” asked Sale, which is the first of all the enerally seen during the March moon, and so the Cree Indians call that le le very highly The reat chiefs are made of them, and every warrior of any note is very ale plumes They are hunted only for their feathers, beaks, and claws Their flesh is worthless They are very wary birds, and it is indeed a skillful hunter who can get within range of one of the They build their nests, or aeries, as they are called, away up on the erous for even the most experiencedthey spend a great deal of tireat that the eye can scarce discern them, and where the arrow or bullet of the best-ar, however, soles in traps, and then their beautiful pinions, that had enabled them to soar away into the blue heavens above, become, next to the scalps of their enerizzly bears' claws, the proudest ornaments hich they can decorate themselves”
”Did you ever have one attack you?” said Saet hold of a wounded one's talons with your naked hand?” said Alec
This latter question caused sohter at Sam's expense, as at him it was evidently aimed, in view of his recent rateful to Saht make the same mistake or meet with similar adventures
”Yes, indeed,” said Mr Ross, ”for I can answer both questions that way
It was long ago whenpost aest of this, where the Rocky Mountain ranges were not very far distant from us I was fond of sport, and ith the Indians on all sorts of hunting adventures Soether, and have all kinds of strange experiences We hunted every kind of wild animal that roamed in the prairies, in the foothills, or in thethese nificent mountains Once when out with soenerally called by the whites,a large eagle attack aand hirling down the le, instead of swooping down on the quivering carcass, as we had expected it to do, dashed atobserved for the first time--a little timid lale, with an exultant screahtened little creature, and then, flapping its great wings, began slowly rising from the rock We watched it as it slowly fleay until it landed on a ledge of rocks away up on a mountain side near the top As soon as it landed we observed that there was its aerie, for from a clump of sticks some little heads were outstretched for food The eyes of leamed with satisfaction, and they said:--
”'We will soon have your feathers, old Mr Eagle, and that will stop your destroying our ales had built their nest was quite precipitous, the back part was easily scaled, so that hunters with level heads could clih that they could really look down into the eagle's nest The nearest point from the nest that we could reach was perhaps fifty feet away We did not, however, at once go that near We did, however, crawl near enough to see the fierce, savage way in which the old bird tore that young lets, that struggled and fought with each other in theirfed by the old male birdthe mother arrive with a rabbit in her talons When she saw the feast that had been provided for the young brood she laid the rabbit on one side, and patiently waited until her mate had satisfied the voracious appetites of the brood Then she and the other eagle tore to pieces the rabbit, and devoured it, as left of thedinner all around, everybody full,' said o away for a big fly, and then we set our traps for them; but while they sleep we eat and sleep too'
”We drew back very cautiously into a ravine about a quarter of a mile down the mountain side, to a place where we had noticed some dry wood, for ere not quite above the ti to eat It was difficult to , had so little heat in it at that height on the mountain We unstrapped our blankets and lay down near the fire and went to sleep, for ere very weary, having been up sohts before on the lookout for aabout I woke up after a couple of hours' sleep and found that both of the eagles had been seen by the watchful Indians to fly away froth of their absence was very uncertain, the Indians quickly set to work to make the snares, in which they expected to entrap them Steel traps were unknown in those days, and so the Indians had tobuffalo sinews and deerskin twine
”When ent back to the place where we could overlook the nest it was evident that there would be so eaglets lay quietly sleeping After various trials it was decided that the only as for one of our party to be lowered over and let down by the rest As I was htest one, and as the supply of material that we had with us out of which to io down and put the snares in position It was decided that ould not disturb the eaglets to-day, but would leave theles would beco theht, and landed near the nest The young birds were so gorged with the flesh of the mountain lamb that they were very stupid, and hardly stirred I set to work as speedily as possible to arrange the snares, so that the eagles would step into the noose principle we knew that they would quickly tighten around the feet if once they were stepped into My principal difficulty was in finding places where I could tie the other ends of the snares Eagles are very powerful, and can drag by the foot great weights So I knew that all our ould be lost if I did not succeed in tying theet loose would be in vain However, I succeeded at length, and then I was hoisted up and we all returned back a ht
”The next h to convince us of the success of our sche noise if they try, and two captured eagles, and soh as we drew near and investigated Both eagles were firht in these snares of rolled and twisted sinehich, although notto hold the had an ale, and therefore I would not let theain, and was lowered down once e, ar The noise was siry birds The instant I landed they flew atsinews held theh time of it I would watch my opportunity and try to strike one of them a heavy blow on the head with my club To my surprise I received in return a heavy whack froth of the string enabled the my difficulties, I called to my Indians to shoot the female bird, and thus leave h the head This left me but the old male bird I think I could have easily knocked him over the head, but my ambition was to capture him and to take hile, and, tying it to the rope, had the Indians hoist it up to the top Then I lets to have thehters they were! The way they struck at me with their little beaks, and in every way possible resented my interference with their liberty, onderful My hands were sore and bleeding ere I succeeded in sending up the last of the four to my comrades I had them thron the snares, and with them I made a kind of a lasso which I tried to throw over the head of the vicious bird As I threw it he coolly reached up and cleverly caught it in his beak, and snapped it in two as quickly as could a pair of scissors I tried it again, and once more he was too much for me Why he had not cut himself loose when in the snare was aan to fear that he would have to be shot
”My comrades had been a avenoose that holds him to the rock where you fastened it, and tie it to the rope, and ill pull him up and see e can do with him here' This plan struck me as a capital one, and so I immediately proceeded to carry it out But I had decided on this plan without taking the eagle intohe flew at s assailed me I had foolishly dropped my heavy club, and so at first was about powerless Fortunately, I had ht for es at his Sometimes so heavily did his blows rain oncourage by his success, he seemed to redouble his attacks, and for a ti a sudden dash at hi s, knocked aside my knife that in my stumble I found I had aardly cut the noose that bound him As I knew that his talons were now free I presumed he would at once avail himself of his liberty and fly away But he had now no such idea His blood was up, and so with a screaht at h he would grip me up as he had done the la to save the face, and so the instant he dashed at rasp hold of him somewhere
This fortunately arrested his dash at ed s into his very vitals, and he was a dead eagle So terrible, however, was that death grip on my hand and wrist that it was not until I was hauled up with him to the top that the Indians were able to setthe sinews orthem out of my flesh”
”Well,” said Sam, ”that is a splendid story; but you ards my little experience with the oell, I think I'll _ould_ ue”
And so he did
Winter Adventures of Three Boys--by Egerton R Young
CHAPTER EIGHT
SUNDAYS IN THE GREAT LONE LAND--SERVICES AT THE MISSION--BY SKIFF OR CANOE IN SUMMER--BY DOG-TRAIN IN WINTER--NAPOLEON, THE TAME BEAR, AND HIS LOAD--SERVICES AT SAGASTA-WEEKEE--MISSIONARY JOURNEYS--NATIVE MINISTERS--THE QUEER SERMON--HAPPY CHRISTMAS TIMES--NEW YEAR'S, THE GREAT DAY--OO-CHE-ME-KE-SE-GOU--THE KISSING DAY--VARIED EXPERIENCES--THE GREAT FEAST--HAPPY INDIANS--THANKSGIVING
Sundays in the North Land! Yes, there are such days, and they coht welcoladness, not sadness--days in which loving ho Father who is also the God of nature; and as nature rejoices in his bounteous care and infinite wisdorace also be happy in the sunshi+ne of his love?
”Serve the Lord with gladness,” was the ious life, and everyone under his influence or care felt that he was a genuine ious life, while decided and settled, was unobtrusive and kindly It embraced the two commands, love to God and love to his fellow- the Indians had been very successful, and a capacious church was there built Every Sunday a large portion of the faasta-weekee at least once a day, and there worshi+pped The e