DAT AND NIGHT. 807 



found a crag and disappear. Ke-loading, I sauntered in 

 moody desperation in the direction of his flight, and soon 

 gained the point round which he had vanished, when, 

 behold ! he lay on the ground with his broad wings 

 expanded to their full extent and his head erect. I ran 

 towards him, but he did not move, and I soon saw that 

 he was mortally wounded. On coming close up I was 

 compelled to halt and gaze at him in admiration. He 

 raised his head and looked at me with a glance of lofty 

 disdain which I shall never forget. 



The conformation of the eagle's eye is such that its 

 habitual expression, as every one knows, resembles that 

 of deep indignation. This bird had that look in perfec- 

 tion. His hooked beak was above four inches long, and 

 it struck me that if he were disposed to make a last 

 gallant struggle for life when I grasped him, such a beak, 

 with its corresponding talons, would give me some ugly 

 wounds before I could master him. I therefore laid my 

 gun gently across his back and held him down therewith 

 while I caught him by the neck. But his fighting days 

 were over. His head drooped forward and his bold eye 

 closed in death a few seconds later. 



Afterwards I found that the whole charge of both 

 barrels had lodged in his body and thighs, yet, on re- 

 ceiving this, he did not wince a hair's breadth, or in any 

 other way indicate that he had been touched. He mea- 

 s cured exactly six feet six inches across tb<* expanded 

 wings. 



Alas 1 his staffed skin, which I have preserved aa 



