FIGHT WITH AN EAGLE. 223 



upon his head, and striking her talons through his 

 cap and wig, tore them from his naked scalp, and 

 hurled them to the ground. Not exactly a back out, 

 but a back down, was the immediate result — and the 

 vanquished knight, as he landed upon 'erra firma, 

 audibly thanked his stars, and remarked to his com- 

 panion, that his satisfaction was unbounded ; seeing 

 that the matter had ended no worse — and as they pro- 

 ceeded to gather up the " duds," they entered upon a 

 discourse, wherein the rules of chivalry were gravely 

 considered, and a decision soberly made, that there 

 was no loss of honor in the affair ; since such cases 

 were of rare occurrence and did not happen under 

 those circumstances by which a man's courage and 

 valor were ordinarily tested. 



On examining the lake, it was found that it was 

 nearly surrounded by rocks, for the most part of per- 

 pendicular ascent, rising like a wall of masonry with 

 its face to the lake, and from two to three hundred 

 feet above the surface of the water. It was of oval 

 form, and gave the appearance of an immense reser- 

 voir prepared by art — a section of its western wall, 

 however, overhung the water, forming a high arched 

 cavern beneath. No streams were discovered falling 



