THE EAGLES 77 



did not seem to have observed the great bird, or perhaps 

 had seen him and taken no further notice. 



Suddenly, without warning, he fell like a thunderbolt 

 upon the neck of the stag. The shock must have been 

 tremendous. Amazed and indignant the antlered warrior 

 staggered and bounded away, tossing its head and trying 

 to shake off its assailant. The Eagle only drove his claws 

 in deeper and buffeted his victim's head with his wings, 

 while his beak dealt blows that cut deep. 



Presently, with a long backward sweep of its great 

 horns, the stag dislodged the Eagle and dashed him into 

 the heather ; then, torn and bleeding, galloped after the 

 frightened herd. But the Eagle, now not only daring but 

 furious, rose and followed. This time he fastened on the 

 flanks of the stag, just out of reach of those sweeping 

 antlers. 



Mad with pain and scared by its persecutor's persistent 

 attacks, the poor stag put its head between its knees, like 

 a cowboy's buck-jumping horse, and flung itself over so as 

 to fall on the bird. This it did several times, bruising and 

 battering its enemy. But the redoubtable Eagle could not 

 be persuaded to give up the combat. Only when his in- 

 tended victim escaped into the friendly shelter of some 

 pine woods close by did he see that pursuit could go no 

 further, and he rose and soared away. 



The two foresters were near enough to see that the bird . 

 was one of the large Sutherlandshire Eagles — a splendid 

 creature in good plumage. The encounter was a rare one 

 indeed, and the story is almost unique."^ But it may be 



1 Some years ago Sir Charles Mordaunt witnessed a very similar battle 

 between a Scotch Eagle and a stag. The bird singled out the animal, drove 

 it from the herd, struck it with his wings, knocked it down, and eventually 

 killed it. 



