12 COERACH-BAH j OR, 



would seem higher at some times than others, and was 

 caused by the eagle's raising her head. My qualms 

 returned ; I saw that the eyrie was about thirty yards 

 down in the cliff, that my footing would not be firm, and 

 that, if the bird were so inclined, she might dash into the 

 abyss with the speed of the wind. Peter, however, was 

 talkative as ever, evidently in high glee that there was 

 every chance of a shot. 



We now struck off to the left, as if walking away from 

 the eyrie. Having taken a long circuit, we edged in, till 

 we got a slope of the mountain between us and our quarry. 

 This achieved, we walked rapidly round till we came to its 

 base, at the opposite side to that where the noble bird was 

 sitting in perfect security and peace. Peter now climbed 

 slowly up, continuing his stories to most inattentive ears. 

 I had some faint recollection, afterwards,, of a curious bird 

 with extraordinary feet, which frequented the forest, whose 

 history he was relating with great animation just when he 

 gained the ridge of the mountain. There, however, all 

 his tales were at an end. He at once relapsed into the 

 cool and wary hunter. Creeping forward with prompti- 

 tude and decision, he knew, to an inch, where to look for 

 the eyrie among all that fantastic chaos of rocks. Beckon- 

 ing me to advance, he showed the outer sticks of the nest, 

 and pointed to a rock close to us, where lay a grouse 

 nearly devoured, and a ptarmigan beautifully picked, but 

 with the skin unbroken. Our attack upon the eagle began 

 by plundering her storehouse; for Peter, rolling up the 

 ptarmigan in his handkerchief, pocketed it as a bonne louche 



