i M s'lmsle about 400 yaTds off shore | Jib 



• Park. I 



!o swept down from the skies ir— — 

 uc-lc ot 500 ducks which werep" 

 M sliiiig ill the bay. Four hundred and i 

 ninety-nine of them escaped, turning 

 '.the winter sky lilack with their beating 

 I wtags. One was caught as the big bird 

 of prev pounced upon It. talons spread. 



Evidently the eagle's hold was not firm 

 1 for It was broken as his victim dived be- 

 neath the waters of the bay. Followed 

 a KTim battle of hldo and seek, with a 

 nice meal as the prlzt on one hand and 

 lite at stake on the other. 



Circling close over the water the 

 eagle waited for the duck to appear on 

 the surface, tip bobs a black dot; sav- 

 ace wings swish down; the black dot dis- 

 appears like a shot beneath the water 

 again. More patient circling; more 

 murderous plunges; more J''''"'''' 

 scrambling for the depths. So the bat- 

 tle goes for several minutes. 



Finally In a swift awoop th« <'tt»io 

 again digs lt» talons into tha back ol 

 the duclv. this tlmo getUng a firm hold 

 upon its prospective meal. Comes a 

 mighty struggle between tha denizen of 

 the heavens and the Inhabitant of the 

 aepths. Beating wings attempt to lift 

 the duck from the water; churning web- 

 feet seek the shelter of the bay. The 

 eaglo tugs, almost pulling his prey Into 

 tho air. With a last frantic lunge, the 

 duck dives, pulling his captor well into 

 tlie Icy waters. 



The lii«t ducking Is too much m Its 

 thoroughness. The eagle relinquishes 

 Its hold and flys to a tree where It 

 perches, shaking Its feathera and preen- 

 ing Itself, still hungry. The duck, weary 

 ! and crippled, swims about In a circle In 

 \ the water, unable to fly to the flock a . 

 ! few rods down the bay. 

 ! Here tho three men left tho com- 

 batants. They never learned w^hether I 

 the eaglo Anally dined after getting It- 

 self dried out or whether the duck re- 

 gained strength enough to steal to safe- 

 ty. But the ringside seats were worth 

 the cold, raw price of admission, the 

 •local Mr. Richardson avers, <|^Vt.S- 



