Bird Gods in Ancient Europe 



a flotilla of huge steamboats, tugboats, sailing 

 craft of every sort assembled at the starting- 

 point to watch a race. With steady, superb 

 strokes came directly from the sea an eagle. 

 No one seemed to see him and he scorned to 

 notice anything. He deigned neither to swerve 

 aside nor rise far above ; but steered his level 

 way straight through the fleet on his path 

 toward Conanicut and the mountains beyond. 

 It was as if the last chief of the Indians of New 

 England had passed into that dusky brown 

 form and refused, even as a spirit, to recognize 

 the pale-faces whose ancestors did his race to 

 death with powder, ball and poisoned waters. 

 Perhaps he too has fallen ere this a prey to 

 the madness for slaughter which is one of the 

 charms of our civilization ! 



If by his marvellous flight, audacity and 

 superb aloofness the eagle has so impressed the 

 modern world that his figure is the badge 

 chosen for five of the greatest nations of the 

 earth — Russia, Germany, Austria, France 



