28 THE HOME OF THE EAGLE. 



Then I breathed again ; and the two lads, with all 

 their might, hauled on the rope. Ben drew near the 

 edge of the cliff, and his eldest brother saluted the eagle 

 with a shower of stones. 



Swift as lightning, the angry bird returned to the 

 combat ; but alarmed by the open beak of his enemy, 

 Ben let go the second eaglet and clung to the tree, while 

 his brothers drew him towards them. 



At the same moment, securing a good aim at the for- 

 midable bird, I fired at him both barrels, and stretched 

 him dead at my feet, still holding in his talons the little 

 eaglet. 



A few minutes later I clasped in my arms the young 

 robber of eagles'-nests, while scolding him for risking his 

 life to please a fancy of mine. It was on purpose to gain 

 this trophy that Ben and his brothers had stolen away 

 from the hut at early dawn, without informing any one 

 of the exploit they meditated. 



I must add, to conclude this brief history, that I re- 

 solved on making a descent to the eagle's eyrie, in search 

 of the young eaglet which Ben had first let go. I there- 

 fore reloaded my rifle, and slung it in my shoulder-belt ; 

 then fastening the rope securely, and tying some strong 

 knots in it, I lowered myself very slowly, until my foot 

 touched the eaglet. The young bird was struggling in 

 the middle of the nest, and I easily made myself master 

 of it. 



It was on a smooth but narrow ledge that Jove's birds 

 had prepared the couch of their offspring ; an accumu- 

 lation of branches, reeds, and heath ; a kind of pestifer- 

 ous carrion-house, surrounded by shreds of putrid carcasses 

 and whitened bones. The eagle I had killed was a 



