The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1869-01-08
An Exciting Chase and Narrow Escape.
A CHILD TAKEN OFF BY AN EAGLE AND CARRIED
TWO MILES.
From the Nashville Press. January IL


gentleman named Bowers, from Meigsve,
Jackson County, now in town, informs Us that, on
Christmas Eve, about o'clock in the afternoon,
the farm of Mr.. Whiteside about five miles from
Megsville, was the scene of a most exciting and
nearly fatal event. 1t is briefly this:
Mr.. Whiteside was in the little town doing some
business; his wife was away at q neighbours,
where sick child was struggling with cholera In
fantum. and the only indoor servant they had was
out in the barn looking after some cattle, when
their. chlld-a bright little boy, just learning to
toGdle around on its little feet and prattle the
name of "pa"-tumbed or crawled out of its
cradle, in which 1t was left asleep by the servant
few moments before, and managed somehow to
get 10 the door, which was, unfortunately, open
at the tme although the girl left in charge of the
place AYERS that she had closed il on going out.
The child tumbled into the front yard it is sup.
posed, and was crying and sprawling around,
when great gray eagle. seen by the girl as she
was leaving the barn, came swooping down, and,
fastening its immense and cruel talons in the
clothing of the little boy, rose up, apparently with
much difficulty, as high as it could, which not
very high, and sailed off across the adjacent
woods, just skimming, as the servant says, the
tops of the trees. When the servant saw the
eagle coming down. as she was leaving the barn.
she had presentment of the strangest kind and
says she felt that the child out DOORS and that
the fierce bird Of prey was bouncing down upon
it but when in a moment after she beheld the
great tyrant of the air rise above the house top
with the little child in its claws, she grew dizzy
q
did not continue long; the cold air blowing across
her face revived her quickly, and jumping on her
feet and gazing round wildly, she saw the eagle
disappearing over the woods in the direction of
the Cumberland river She was filed with but
one impulse-torescue the little boy. She became
as one frantic, for she had remarka-
bic affection for the child. She rushed
forward, bounded over the fence as
If she were endowed with the lightness and agIl.
ity Of a deer; dashed into the wood dark and
tangled as it was, not taking time TO hunt out foot
paths or COW tracks. She instinctigely felt that
the thieving bird would keep ia straight line
and she kept in straight line also. With the
strength and unthinkng courage Of strong man
who has become suddenly deranged, she dashed
the underground aside, crossed ravnes as If she
were on the level plain, spurned the fallen trees
and jagged rocks as if they were the smoothest
and softest moss. The patch of wood was fully
mile and half through but the girl made the
run to the other edge of it without feeling in the
least fatgued. Beyond the wood, and between it
and the river, lay patch of cleared ground part.
" msrsby and partly corn-feld, full of old stumps.
When she left the wood, and had clear view, she
saw the eagle as If he inclined to alight with
his burden somewhere in the neighborhOod of
the river. This gave her new courage and fresh
hope, and she ran forward with increased speed.
IL luckily happened at that time that there was
man hunting in the neighboring marshes and lust
at the particular moment, when the eagle reached
the ground with his burden, shot went of, 80
dangerously and alarmlngiy near him flor the
hunter was behind a clump of bushes, about
twenty yards of, and had his back towards the
spot where the eagle and the child werel, that he
mounted into the air again, but this time without
his burden. The pursuing girl was filed with 10Y,
when che beheld the bird rise without the child.
But fearing he would return, as he seemed in
cllned 10 DO, she set up vigorous shouting as she
ran, which attracted the hunters attention in that
direction, who, seeing the eagle quite near hiu
and lady running down the slope with streaming
hair end garments, and wildly shouting concluded
at once there was something strange and, per-
haps, dreadful in bis immediate vicinity, and he
also set up vigorous hallooing, and proceeded to
reload bis gun with much precipitation forgetting
to go after the game which he had jus. shot.
The eagle became aware Of the formidable op-
position be would meet If he attempted to recap
ture his prey, and thinking better of he wheeled
round and swung himself in one grand swoop
across the river and disappeared behind the shelly.
ing rock which forms the opposite bank at that
point before shot from the hunters gun was
ready to speed its fight TO his bold heart When
the girl came down to the hunter, she fell stiff
and was not able even to Indicate what was the
matter. While the rough gallant was endeayorinp
TO restore her to consciousness he heard the
scream OF child, and leaving the slowly recover.
ing girl, he went toward the spot where the
screaming came from, and beheld a fine. healthy.
rosy boy, with torn clothes, bat otherwise min.
Jured, endeavoring to rise upon his little feet.
ne tears sTeamed down his innocent cheeks, and
bis face wore most bideous expression. He took |
the baby in bis arms and carriedit to the girl. who
was now sufficiently recovered to Comprehend |
that her beloved charge was safe. She clasped II
70 her bosom, covered it with kisses and went |
with joy. "'P'
In the meantime the mother and father Of the /
cnnd had returned home, and finding il empty /
with 10 sign to indicate where the inr1ates were /
gone save bucket of spilled milk out near the |
2arn' where the girl had dropped Il in her fight,
ney became exceedingly anxious and uneasv.
oat me return Of the servant, the hunter and the
wonderful little uoydgetr, who had the most
nrilling adventure that was ever heard of. re-
tored Them TO tranquility. There was truly
merry aho Joyous Christmas in that household.