THE DUSKY GROUSE. 135 



This beautiful piece of composition was afterwards 

 shown to tlie doctor, but he did not seem to be very 

 much impressed with it, as he called it bosh. His cyni- 

 cal comments at length nettled the one-horse poet so 

 much that he solemnly vowed he would never again write 

 any verses extolling Pillbox or his gun. 



In less than fifteen minutes after this incident occurred 

 we had an opportunity of seeing a struggle between an 

 eagle and an osprey for the possession of a fish. We had 

 noticed the latter bird circling high in the air directly 

 above us, but it seemed to us that we had hardly taken 

 our eyes ofE it ere a light cloud darted past us with light- 

 ning speed, and in a moment more we heard a whisst, and 

 saw the osprey rise from the water with a huge trout 

 struggling in its talons. Beating the air heavily with its 

 wings, it rose slowly upwards, and gave vent to its feel- 

 ings of satisfaction in sharp screams. It had not pro- 

 ceeded far on its skyward course, however, ere a speck 

 was seen to shoot from the clouds, and a few moments 

 later a bald-headed eagle was plainly visible, as it darted 

 at the feathered angler. The latter evaded the blow, and 

 began circling upwards, but the other, which was unen- 

 cumbered by any weight, rose above it, and both then 

 began rising spirally and in broad circles. Finding that 

 it was fish or life, the osprey plunged downward with 

 lightning speed, in hopes of being able to reach the 

 woods, but the monarch of the air was too quick for it, 

 and giving it a violent blow on the back, knocked the 

 fish out of its talons and a small cloud of feathers out of 

 its plumage. The osprey, recognizing that it was dis- 

 comfited, fled to a tree and there indulged in loud plaints 

 at its treatment, while the eagle darted after the trout, 

 and catching it before it touched the water, bore it sky- 

 ward in triumph. 



"There is human nature in a nut-shell for you!" ex- 

 claimed Smith. 



