THIRD DAY. 41 
fashion over the steaming surface of the water! These re- 
flections were not pleasant ; but still an eagle was worth all 
that, and any one who really wants to shoot noble game must 
shun neither troubles nor discomforts, 
The hoarse cry of the young Sea-Hagle now indicated that 
it was about the hour at which the pampered young gentle- 
man was accustomed to be fed, and he was giving us accurate 
notice of the fact. 
Hodek, who had just looked round, whispered to me, “ He 
is coming!” I heard a whiz above me, and a great shadow 
swept over the ground; but by the time I had got my gun up 
it was already too late, and I merely saw the eagle glide into 
the nest with folded wings. I had not credited the mighty 
bird with such great activity and quickness, and had fancied 
the matter easier than it really was. 
After a few moments we heard the cracking of bones and 
the cries of the young bird ; but whether the bones were those 
of a fish or of some other creature we unfortunately could 
not say, owing to the surprising speed at which the eagle had 
come. 
I now slipped quietly out of my ambush ready to fire, and 
stationed myself at a spot where I could get a comparatively 
open shot, while Hodek crept warily to the other side of the 
nesting-tree and tapped its stem with his hunting-knife. 
He had hardly touched the bark when I heard the bustle 
of the eagle as it flew out ; but a leafy branch prevented my 
observing the bird at the first moment of its flight, and I did 
not see it until it wasa few yards from the nest. It was 
struck by my first shot and fell halfway to the ground, and at 
the second drooped its head and legs and sailed like a para- 
chute over the water behind us, to a flooded patch of wood. 
Shortly after it had vanished from our sight among the 
branches we heard something heavy fall into the water, and 
Hodek hastening up found the eagle already in Ferencz’s 
