ON THE CATTLE RANGES. 87 



when he saw two eagles worrying and pounc- 

 ing on a prong-buck seemingly 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 at- 

 tacking badgers, foxes, bob-cats, and coyotes ; 

 but I am inclined to think all such cases ex- 

 ceptional. 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 over- 

 head, 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 overshot it precisely as a grayhound 

 would have done, stopping itself by a power- 

 ful, setting motion of the great pinions. 



