76 A THIEVISH EAGLE. 



heads. A great eagle fell like an arrow on our supper, and rose again 

 with the same rapidity, carrying off in his claws some slices of kid. 

 When we had recovered from our surprise, we had nothing better to 

 do than laugh at the adventure. However, Samdadchiemba could not 

 laugh, not he ; he was exceedingly wroth, not on account of the stolen 



THE EAGLE OF THE STEPPES, AND THE ANTELOPE SAIGA. 



kid, but because the eagle, in flying off, had insolently buffeted him 



with the tip of his wing 



" The eagle," adds our author, " is found almost everywhere in 

 the deserts of Tartary. You see him sometimes hovering and wheel- 

 ing round and round in the air ; sometimes, perched upon a hillock in 

 the middle of the plain, he remains there for a long time as motionless 



