THE BALD-HEADED ABIEKICAN EAGLE. / 



three parts full, and we luul determined to rejoin 

 Frank Forester, when suddenly Whitehead looked 

 up, and uttered a cry of delight. On one of the 

 branches of the old tree there was an eagle's nest, 

 inhabited without a doubt, for he perceived a move- 

 ment among the twigs and branches of which it was 

 composed. Clearl}^ there were eaglets in the nest. 



Without so much as throwing down his gun and 

 bag, to run up the bole of the tree was the work 

 of a moment, for my companion was a practised 

 gymnast, and the feat was executed without the 

 slightest attention to the prudential warnings which 

 I offered him. In a trice, he was hidden by the 

 thick foliage, and then I saw him close to the nest, 

 craning his neck over, to see what it contained. 

 " Good gracious !" cried he ; " two eaglets! and they 

 are opening their beaks as if they would like to 

 swallow me." " Look out ! " I cried, " here come 

 the father and mother. Come down ! come down ! " 



It was no use calling out ; the mad-cap climbed 

 higher and higher, and presently he seized one of 

 the eaglets and thrust it into the bosom of his Hannel 

 shirt; but just as he was about to seize the other 

 the male eagle dashed towards the tree, and struck 

 at my daring friend a blow of his wing. White- 

 head, far from losing his self-possession, drew his 

 knife, and prepared to defend himself. He struck 

 the eagle in the side, but the blow was not mortal, 

 and the bird prepared to make another attack upon 



