TENTH DAY. 165 



Meanwhile we had reached the spot where we had to climb 

 to another nest on the southern slope. I followed my guide 

 up the hillside along a little footpath, and he soon pointed 

 out to me the eyrie of an Imperial Eagle, placed on a young 

 oak tree, in a very steep ravine, just at the level of the spot 

 where we were standing. To my great astonishment I saw 

 the splendidly plumaged bird on the edge of its nest ; but as 

 the distance was too great for shot, I grasped my rifle, and 

 putting my arm round a young oak to steady myself, took 

 a deliberate aim, fired, and the eagle fell crumpled up into 

 its dwelling, the jager crying out with delight, " There he 

 lies in the nest I" 



Hardly had he uttered the words when an unpleasant 

 surprise followed, for the wounded eagle was thrown out of 

 the nest, and the female flew off it from under him, the shot 

 having knocked the male down on to the back of its mate, and 

 both birds having remained for some seconds in that position. 

 When it had fallen about halfway down the tree, the 

 wounded eagle recovered its powers of flight, and sailed off 

 towards the valley after its frightened spouse. Searching for 

 anything in these intricate, thickly wooded hills is generally 

 useless, and here, where Count Chotek's forester was not so 

 well acquainted with the ground, there would certainly have 

 been no hope of finding a wounded bird. I therefore crept 

 under the nest to wait for the return of the uninjured female. 

 Almost immediately below me was a beautiful woodland 

 glade, where Cuckoos were flying up and down, and the most 

 charming songs from the merry throats of many birds were 

 wafted up from the valley, while now and again a Common 

 Kite or a Buzzard flew past the place where I was sitting. 



In about half an hour I saw the eagle returning, and 

 heard its shrill call and the loud rush of its wings, now before 

 me and now behind me. At last it came close, but I was so 

 very well hidden behind a thick oak, that I could only 



