THE WHITE-TAILED EAGLE. 13 



neighbouring peasants. Many persons wished to stop 

 their plunder, but like not a few in other circumstances, 

 they were not remarkable for promptitude ; and besides, 

 everybody respected the eagles. The gardener of one 

 gentleman, however, had orders to load his musket, and 

 to fire on the female bird the first time she ventured to 

 intrude among the goslings, or to pursue some unfor- 

 tunate chicken. But she was a magnificent bird — far 

 larger than her husband — and Peter's heart failed him. 

 " Look at her ! " he said, as she sailed in the distance ; 

 " look at her, master ! I remember that oidd lass ever 

 since I was the height of a raspberry plant ; and I 

 couldn't find it in my heart to hurt a feather of her 

 wing, the craythur ! What signifies a dozen of goslings 

 to such a bird as that ? Won't there be plenty o' geese 

 of all sorts when she's gone ? But my father before 

 me used to say, ' Peter,' says he, ' mark my words, them 

 'ill be the last o' the rale ancient Irish eagles that 'ill 

 ever settle in the barony ; for they 've a mortal hatred 

 to new fashions :' but as to killing her, I 'd as soon 

 think o' kilhng the priest !" 



Vain was it, then, to expect relief from Peter ; but as 

 goslings were again destroyed, and still more, as the 

 rapacious bird took a fancy to a beautiful pea-hen that 

 was brooding over her eggs in a retired copse, it was 



