XXV 



THE LAST OF THE THUNDERBIRDS 



IN ancient times a great many giant eagles or 

 thunderbirds lived in the mountains ; but in later 

 years they had all disappeared except one single 

 pair which made their home in the mountain top 

 overlooking the Yukon near Sabotnisky. The 

 top of this mountain was round and the eagles 

 had hollowed out a great basin on the summit 

 which they used for a nest. Around the edge of 

 it was a rocky rim from which they could see far 

 across the broad river, or could look down upon 

 the village at the base of the mountain on the 

 water's edge. 



From their perch on this rocky wall these great 

 birds would soar away, looking like a cloud in the 

 sky, to seize a reindeer from a passing herd and 

 bring it to their young. Or, again, they would 

 circle out with a noise like thunder from their 

 shaking wings, and drop down upon a fisherman 

 in his kayak on the river, carrying man and boat 



99 



