44 



CAPTIVE EAGLE, 



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I 



animal, and unusually large. It was a very great 

 favourite with its master, and proportionately disliked 

 by everybody else, for it frequently made night hideous 

 with its caterwauling. No rival would this beast 

 permit to approach it when engaged upon its amatory 

 excursions, which were so frequent that it was called 

 Sultan. 



It would be difficult to say whether my companions 

 feared or \ ted this cat most ; however, the major's 

 pet bore a very bad reputation among my chums, so it 

 was resolved to get rid of him on the first favourable 

 occasion. Such an undertaking was found easier to 

 plan than to carry out. The big boy of our party 

 was found equal to the occasion. His father was 

 an ardent Waltonian, so possessed every implement 

 that was necessary to successfully practise his hobby. 

 From this stock a large landing net was pur- 

 loined, and, in an unguarded moment, the obnoxious 

 tom-cat was covered with it, and soon after, with 

 considerable trouble, transferred to a bag, in which 

 unfortunate Sultan was carried to the canteen. His 

 weight and great strength caused all to think that 

 he would at least make a gallant fight for his life, but 

 such, to the great disappointment of all, was not the 

 case. The eagle had him in his terrible grip in an 

 instant, and the poor unfortunate looked quite in- 

 capable of making an effort to save himself. 



A very melancholy little tragedy occurred in refer- 

 ence to this bird. A lieutenant had a pure-bred 

 Skye terrier, which was an universal favourite, for it 

 was the essence of pluck, good temper, and sagacity, 

 When *' Skye's " master was on duty one day, the 

 dog, by some unaccountable means, got into the 

 eagle's yard. The poor little fellow was not long 

 missed when search was made for him, and to the 

 owner's, and I may say the whole garrison's im- 

 mense grief, was found in the bird's clutches — dead, 

 of course. 



