16 SPORT IN NORTH AlIERICA. 



him. On seeing this I shuddered, and then I saw 

 two of the brothers of reckless Ben pulhng up the 

 rope, whilst the third menaced the bird with a stick, 

 without being able to reach liim. I hardly knew 

 what to do, for it seemed scarcely possible to fire 

 without hitting Ben. I stood breathless and im- 

 moveable. Under his arms, the brave boy had 

 secured two eaglets, but at the moment when the 

 eagle attempted to peck at his face he dropped one. 

 I stood a prey to an indescribable anguish, but from 

 beneath my half-closed eyelids I could see the king 

 of birds darting through the air to save its little one 

 in its fall. Then I breathed again. The two lads 

 tugged away at the rope with all their might, and 

 Ben approached the brink of the precipice, whilst 

 the eldest boy attacked the eagle with a volley of 

 stones. Swift as lightning, the angry bird returned 

 to the fight ; but directly he saw the open beak of 

 his foe, Ben let go the other eaglet and clung on, 

 whilst his brothers drew him uj? towards them. 

 At that moment I let fl}^ with both barrels, and 

 stretched the eagle dead at my feet, holding its little 

 one in its claws. 



Not many moments afterwards I held the little 

 bird's-nester in my arms, and was scolding him for 

 having exposed his life for me ; for it was with no 

 other motive than to offer me a trophy that Ben and 

 his brothers had sallied forth at dawn, without 

 saying a word to anybod}^ about the exploit which 



