BEARDED VULTURE. J? 



place. T saw the Eagle stand for a minute, as if 

 to recollect himself^ while the servants ran for 

 their lances and shields : I walked up as nearly to 

 him as I had time to do. His attention was fully 

 fixed upon the flesh. I saw him put his foot into 

 the pan where was a large piece in water prepared 

 for boiling, but finding the smart which he had not 

 expected, he withdrew it, and forsook the piece 

 which he held. There were two large pieces, a 

 leg and a shoulder, lying upon a wooden platter; 

 into these he trussed both his claws, and carried 

 them off, but I thought he looked wistfully at the 

 large piece which remained in the warm water. 

 Away he went slowly along the ground as he 

 had come. The face of the cliff over which crimi- 

 nals are thrown, took him from our sight. The 

 Mahometans that drove the asses, who had, as we 

 have already observed, in the course of the journey, 

 suffered much from the Hyasna, were much alarm- 

 ed, and assured me of his return. My servants, 

 on the other hand, very unwillingly expected him, 

 and thought he had already more than his share. 

 As I had myself a desire of more intimate acquaint- 

 ance with him, I loaded' a rifle-gun with ball, and 

 sat down close to the platter by the meat. It was 

 not many minutes before he came, and a prodi- 

 gious shout w£is raised by my attendants. He is 

 coming, he is combing, enough to have discouraged 

 a less courageous animal. Whether he was not 

 quite so hungry as at the first visit, or suspected 

 something from my appear^.nce, I know not, but 

 he made a small turn^ and sat down about ten 



V. VII, 2 



