138 FIFTEEN DAYS ON THE DANUBE. 
upon a lucky plan, on the success of which I pride myself 
to this day ; for I slung my rifle on my back, loaded my gun 
with heavy shot, and quitting the place noisily to attract the 
attention of the vultures, I went down towards the valley. 
My stratagem succeeded from the very first, for the birds: 
followed all my movements from above, and when they saw 
me near the brook set up a satisfied croaking, made a few 
sweeps round the hill-top, and disappeared in different direc- 
tions, probably in order to examine the neighbourhood. 
This moment I utilized in getting back again along the 
little glade to the tree, and, lying down under it, covered my- 
self with branches as well as I could and remained quietly on 
my back with my gun ready pointed. (A distressing quarter 
of an hour now went by, and I was already beginning to 
doubt whether, tired as I was and tormented by the bites of, 
ants and mosquitoes, I could hold out any longer in this 
trying position, when I heard the croaking of the vultures, 
and the pair flew rapidly over my head, followed by a bold 
“Stein” Eagle. 
I now had an opportunity of enjoying the interesting spec- 
tacle of this noble eagle chasing one of these great heavy 
birds through the air and swooping down under it close to the 
nest. The vulture, alarmed for the safety of its eggs, and also 
very frightened at the prospect of an aerial encounter with 
the far smaller but more active eagle, now shot straight down 
the slope, took a circuit round the nest, and, stretching out its 
long neck, looked directly at the place where I had formerly 
sat, but did not pay the slightest attention to the open spot 
where I had been recently standing. It then made a second 
sweep round, and as it plunged close over my head to get 
into the nest I gave it both barrels. I saw some feathers fall, 
and noticed a convulsive twitch of the wings and a sinking of 
the bare head ; but I again feared that the shot had rebounded 
from the strong feathers without taking effect, for it flew 
