140 STORIES ABOUT BIRDS. 



blood of tlie chamois as a specific against ver- 

 tigo. Just now, liOAvever, at the very moment 

 when the hmitsman was clutching the young 

 eagles, Avho were almost fledged in the nest, 

 down flew the old one, and pounced her claws 

 into the huntsman's collar ; she then pecked at 

 his fixce and head with her beak, now mangling 

 one, and then the other. The man's situation 

 became frightful, and he in vain endeavored 

 with his one free hand to protect himself from 

 the wrathful bird, who defended her young 

 with desperate fury. He could not extricate 

 his hand, because she was tearing away with 

 claws and beak upon his collar and shirt. Al- 

 most powerless, he drew back from the eagle, as 

 screaming louder and louder, and flapping her 

 enormous wings, she dashed upon him again ; 

 and while with one hand he clung convulsively 

 to the precipice, he so turned his fowling-piece 

 with the other, which was at liberty, as to bring 

 the mouth of it in the direction of the bird's 

 body. In this fearful position he succeeded in 

 pulling the trigger, the piece went off, and the 

 eagle fell beside him. Streaming with blood 

 and lacerated to torture, the huntsman must 

 have perished had not a comrade come to his 

 assistance, who helped him down from the preci- 

 pice, bound up his wounds, and gave him some 



