NINTH DAY. 147 



quarter of an hour. There we found Count Chotek himself 

 awaiting us, for he had very kindly come back from Cerevic 

 to talk over the plans for the rest of the day. 



My jager informed me that, while we were patiently 

 watching in our ambush, fourteen Eagles, " Stein," Imperial, 

 and Sea, in every variety of plumage, had passed close by 

 him, all taking the same direction towards the plains, and 

 that several had even rested a few minutes on some isolated 

 trees within fair rifle-shot. 



By Count Chotek's advice we now returned to Cerevic to 



make an excursion further up-stream, and after a pretty long 



and warm drive over the high plateau and the steep hills, 



reached our steamer. There we found the other three 



gentlemen on deck, for they had taken a rest this morning 



and were waiting for us. Among them was Brehm, who 



looked very unwell, and from his dejected expression I could 



tell, before I got near him, that he must have yesterday met 



with some very disappointing experiences ; and I was right, 



for he had a series of interesting adventures to relate. He 



had passed the whole day at the rocks near the dead kid, and 



both vultures find eagles of various kinds had flown past 



him, but his hiding-place had been too evident to permit of 



their settling. Only one large Sea-Eagle had alighted near 



the lure ; this bird he had fired at, and it flew down towards 



the valley badly wounded. He sent the keeper who was with 



him after it, and the man managed to come up with the 



injured bird and to give it a finishing shot; but when he was 



going to lift it from the ground, they both observed another 



Sea-Eagle circling high overhead. As soon as this bird saw 



the keeper pick up its slain comrade it folded its wings and 



swooped down like an arrow, and the keeper, whose attention 



was attracted by the noisy flappings of its heavy wings, 



looked up and saw the eagle only a few feet above his head, 



with its claws ready extended for attack. The charge was so 



L2 



