114 HILLS AND LAKES. 



on the white feathers about his neck. The other 

 soared away, and we watched him till he became like 

 a speck in the air, and then lost him in the depth of 

 the sky. Now, there was room enough for both of 

 'em there, and prey enough for 'em both, too. But 

 the one wanted to be alone, and the other would'nt 

 let him, and so they must have a fight about it. 



" But, Squire, I said the eagle was a thief and a 

 robber; and when I tell what I've seen, you'll say 

 I'm right. I once saw a fish-hawk over at the Shata- 

 gee make a dive for a trout, and catch him. He 

 might have weighed two pounds, and the hawk had 

 hard work to raise with him from the water. But he 

 did rise with him, and what was curious to me, seemed 

 anxious to get as high as he could. He kept strug- 

 glin' upward, and screamin' in a most uncommon 

 way, until he'd got up may be four or five hun- 

 dred feet, when I saw what his trouble was. From 

 above him, I saw a bald eagle comin' down, like a 

 streak of chain lightnin', right upon him ; the poor 

 hawk had no choice but to let go the trout he had 

 provided for dinner. This was what the eagle was 

 lookin' for, and swift as a bullet he dropt after the 

 fish, and, Squire, how it could be I can't tell, but 



