alert, tense as a watch-spring. The next 

 instant the mother eagle had swooped, strik- 

 Cloud-Win^s ing the nest at his feet, sending his support 

 ^l^t^e of twigs and himself with them out into the 

 * -^ air together. 



He was afloat now, afloat on the blue air 

 in spite of himself, and flapped lustily for 

 life. Over him, under him, beside him hov- 

 ered the mother on tireless wings, calling 

 softly that she was there. But the awful 

 fear of the depths and the lance tops of the 

 spruces was upon the little one ; his flapping 

 grew more wild ; he fell faster and faster. 

 Suddenly — more in fright, it seemed to me, 

 than because he had spent his strength — he 

 lost his balance and tipped head downward 

 in the air. It was all over now; he folded 

 his wings to be dashed in pieces among the 

 trees. Then like a flash the old mother 

 eagle shot under him ; his despairing feet 

 touched her broad shoulders, between her 

 wings. He righted himself, rested an instant, 

 found his head ; then she dropped like a shot 

 from under him, leaving him to come down 

 on his own wings. A handful of feathers, 



