A BEAR ADVENTURE. 141 



But poor little Prince got into trouble before lie 

 reached home. As I struck the margin of a river 

 which lay in my route, I observed a large bald-headed 

 eagle sailing about. Keeping under the shelter of 

 some brusli I waited for a chance. My right-hand bar- 

 rel I had reloaded with heavy shot, and, as the bird 

 passed about seventy yards off, I gave him a 2:)ortion 

 of its contents, which was responded to by his imme- 

 diately reaching the ground Avith a broken wing. 

 Prince, plucky with the issue of his late engagement, 

 made a dash at the bird, but caught a Tartar, for he 

 was seized by both talons, and, but that I came to the 

 rescue, would have been rendered useless for any oth- 

 er purpose than baiting a wolf trap. As it was, after 

 I had killed the bird I had some difficulty in loos- 

 ening his claws, and I doubt if my faithful little 

 mongrel had lived to the age of Methuselah, he ever 

 would have been induced to tackle another eairle. 



