Kenosha tribune & telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1856-1859, 1858-11-18

cleo rapidly above the top OF a peak
some thirty or forty feet higher than the
! common level Of the platform. A sus
Ipicion then occurred to him, which he
I was able promptly to confirm; for on
+ the same night he succeeded in tracing
1 Juano to the peak, where, from his own
! hiding place behind block, he could
hear the cries Of the frightened and an
CRY birds, the vigorous blows with
which the negro defended himsei1
against their mighty wings, their pow
erful talons. The mystery was revealed
| The Marrons were feeding on the eagle'i
prey.
These poor birds had to work hard
i There was their own family to be sup
ported, and there were moreover eigh,
idle stomachs to be supplied with the
necessities, Of life, and as the negro took
care never to leave more than was strict
! ly required to keep any Of the brood
from perishing of hunger, the foragine
went on with activity.
When this incident was made known
to the Spaniards, Don Gomez wrote a
ipolite letter to an old acquaintance, the
captain Of La Hija Hermosa, Spanish
clipper ship noted for her fast sailing.
and just then at anchor in the port o.
Saint Juan de Porto Rico, requesting
him to send over his second mate for !;
week or so, as he stood sorely in need
OF him and his rifle. 5o i-
The mate though sailor, was known
to be a dead shot. He was little in
thenigger trade just then, but he had gone
through a great deal in his life, and foi
three years he had been engaged in the
tiger trade in the Sonora in Mexico
and slow work as that is, he had con
trlved to make little money by it.
AS soon as the mate had arrived, thu
selge was re-opened, the camp pitched
again, sentinels posted, and strict vigi
lance enforced. f...t
| ltturned out to be no easy work, even
for this intrepid and daring hunter, who
(! had climbed many a crag in the Rocky
Mountains and Sierra Nevada, to gel
down that abyss and to find an accessi.
bic spot on the rock opposite from which
lie might get shot at the eagles. He
thought it best TO make sure of his ball,
and not to alarm the negroes by waste
firing that would indicate to them the
station hc had chosen and cause them
to hurl stones down upon him.
He had risked his life however, many
time for less than the good sum Don
Gomez was sure TO pay, as amateur, for
those two splendid birds Of prey, and he
went to work with will
| After a couple Of hours he was seen
at height Of six hundred feet, suspend
ed overthe dark precipice beneath him,
and sheltered by prominence over his
head against any stones or blocks which
might be hurled upon him. On the plat
form nothing unusual could be discover
ed. The Marrons, hidden behind the stony
ramparts which enclosed their place OF
refuge, remained secure
Several hours went by, and it was
late in The afternoon when, at last, the
report Of the mates rifle was heard tor
the first time. Many u spy glass was
directed at once to the spot where the
audaclous shooter was stationed, but as
nothing particular could be remarked,
| except, perhaps, the GOODNESS with which
he was reloading his rifle, most of the
.cabelleros returned to their tents
Those, however, who still watched the
daring mon, had their reward, when,
about half an hour afterwards, the steep
rocks around rc.echoed once more the
report Of his gun. ...as.. lib.
A blackish object Of the size of pig
con was seen darting up into the air
with the swlfIness of cannon ball,
then it stopped short on d sudden, re-
manning suspended immovabIe for some
moments, at an enormous height, then
it began to lower in spiral line slowly
at first, then quicker and quicker, till at
last it disappeared rapidly behind the
huge mass of the rock.
1t was the second eagle. The first
had been shot already from the top of
the peak, and being killed on the spot,
had fallen down at once into the sea.
The mate had done his work. His
retreat was accomplished with some
difficulty, rs many a block, the hundreth
part of which would have been more
than sufficient to crush him to atoms,
rolled close by his head. He managed,
however, to escape them all, and when
he the morning Of the next day he stood
before Don Gomez, announcing to him
his complete success, the man was as
sound and as cool as ever.
On the two following days the dogs
were heard barking in their usual man
her, and the pillar ofsmCke. was still to
be seen whirling from the top of the
tNla4For.,,, lie Ia. fhnEr
morning of the third day, however, the
dogs We're silent, and even with the aid
of the most powerful spy-glasses it was
impossible TO descry the slightest sign
of smoke upon the platform.
On the evening of that same day,
shortly after the setting OF the neap tide
the blood hounds were heard barking
most furiously, all at once. Almost at
the same timethe sentinel nearest to
the shore gave the alarm.
When the Whole party came up in a
hurry to assertion what was the matter,
they were not little surprised at the
unexpected turn which the affair SEEM
ed to take. 3a.r-. E5a5
The Marrons were in the sea! They
struggled against the fury Of the nigh
ty breakers; they were striving " it'll all
their energy to gain a rocky bay not
very far from their abandoned place Of
shelter. s.- r..f..r,.... ..
"Carramba! Those fools must be
mad!" exclaimed the mate.
A shrek was heard, sudden and hor.
rible; another yet more frightful, pierc-
ed the thunder Of the breakers; the
sea-water became purple. These un-
happy wretches had made their choice
between the Spaniards and the ground
sharks.