On the Cattle Ranges. 71 



full grown prong-horn ; and a neighboring ranchman 

 informs me that he was once an eye-witness to such an 

 attack. It was a bleak day in the late winter, and he was 

 riding home across a wide dreary plateau, when he saw 

 two eagles worrying and pouncing on a prong-buck seem- 

 ingly a yearling. It made a gallant fight. The eagles 

 hovered over it with spread wings, now and then swooping 

 down, their talons out-thrust, to strike at the head, or to 

 try to settle on the loins. The antelope reared and struck 

 with hoofs and horns like a goat ; but its strength was 

 failing rapidly, and doubtless it would have succumbed in 

 the end had not the approach of the ranchman driven off 

 the marauders. 



I have likewise heard stories of eagles attacking 

 badgers, foxes, bob-cats, and coyotes ; but I am inclined 

 to think all such cases exceptional. I have never myself 

 seen an eagle assail anything bigger than a fawn, lamb, 

 kid, or jack-rabbit. It also swoops at geese, sage fowl, 

 and prairie fowl. On one occasion while riding over the 

 range I witnessed an attack on a jack-rabbit. The eagle 

 was soaring overhead, and espied the jack while the latter 

 was crouched motionless. Instantly the great bird rushed 

 down through the humming air, with closed wings ; 

 checked itself when some forty yards above the jack, 

 hovered for a moment, and again fell like a bolt. Away 

 went long-ears, running as only a frightened jack can ; 

 and after him the eagle, not with the arrowy rush of its 

 descent from high air, but with eager, hurried flapping. 

 In a short time it had nearly overtaken the fugitive, when 

 the latter dodged sharply to one side, and the eagle over- 



