110 HILLS AND LAKES. 



My guide left his pack at the shantee, and giving 

 Shack a hearty meal, ordered him to "watch it." 

 "We started in our little craft to cross the lake. As 

 we rounded a promontory, some half a mile from our 

 starting place, we noticed a majestic eagle, perched 

 upon the dead branch of an ancient hemlock that 

 leaned out over the lake, a quarter of a mile, perhaps, 

 distant. These birds, will sit thus for hours, pluming 

 themselves, or watching in quietness the lake, for some 

 heedless duck that may trust himself too far from 

 the shore. We landed quietly, and I started with my 

 rifle, to endeavor to approach near enough, to bring 

 him down from his lofty perch. Happily the nature 

 of the ground aided me in this ; a path worn by the 

 deer, led round the lake, along which I could move, 

 without disturbing the bird. I stole cautiously along, 

 and having approached within range of my rifle, 

 sighted carefully by the side of a tree, and fired. 

 The ball struck the outer joint of his wing, and down 

 came his feathered majesty, flapping and turning over 

 and over, until he struck the surface of the lake. 

 Having regained the canoe, we started to secure our 

 prey. He was, indeed, a noble old bird ; his head 

 and the feathers of his neck, and of his tail, were 



