The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1869-02-25
A Thrilling Spectacle.

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A gentleman named Bowers, from Meigs-
vile, Jackson county, now in town, informs
us that, on Christmas eve, about O'Clock
In the afternoon, the farm of Mr.. White.
side, about five miles from Meigsville, was
the scene Of most exciting and nearly ia
tai event. 1t is briefly this
Mr.. Whiteside was in the little town do
ing some business; his wife was away at a
neighbor's where q sick child was struggling
with cholera infantum and the only in
door servant they had was out to the barn
looking after some cattle, when their child
bright little boy, just learning to toddle
around on its little feet and prattle the name
of ''pa"-tumbled or crawlcd out of its era
die, IN which it was left asleep by the SER
want few minutes before, aud managed
somehow to sc. to the door, which was un-
fortunately left open at the time, although
the girl left in charge of the place AYERS
that she had closed it on going out. The
child tumbled into the front yard, it is sup
posed, and was crying and sprawling around
when great grey eagle, seen by the girl
as she was leaving the barn, came swoop-
ing down, and, fastening its immense and
cruel talons into the clothing of the little
boy, rose up, apparently with much difficult
ty, as high as it could, which was 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 eage coming down, as she was
leaving the barn, she had presentment of
the strangest kind, and says that she felt
that the child was out Of doors, and that
the fierce bird of prey was pouncing down
upon it !; but when, in moment after, she
the housetop, with the little child in its tai
ons, she grew dizzy and fell to the ground.
Her weakness, however did not continue
long, the cod 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 filled with but one impulse-to rescue
the little boy. She became as one frantic,
for she had a remarkable affection for the
child. She rushed forward, bounded over
the fence as if endowed with the lightness
and agility of a deer, dashed into the wood,
dark and tangled as it was, not taking time
to hnnt out footpaths, or COW tracks. She
instinctively felt that the thieving bird
would keep in straight line, and she kept
in a straight line also. With the strength
and unshrinklng courage of a strong man
who has become suddenly deranged, she
dashed the underground aside, crossed the
ravines as if she had been on level plain,
spurned the fallen trees and jagged rocks
as if they were the smoothest and softcst
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 fatigued. Beyond the wood,
and between it and the river lay a patch OF
cleared ground, partly marshy aud partly
cornfeld, full of old stumps. When she
left the wood, and had clear view, she
saw the eagle as if he were 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. 1t luckily
happened at that time that therew as a man
hunting In the neighboring marshes, and
just at the particular moment when the
eagle reached the ground with his burden,
a shot went off SO dangerously and alarm
ingly near him, (tor the hunter was behind
a clump of bushes, about 20 yards off, aud
had his back towards the eagle and the
child that he mounted into the air again,
but without his burden. The pursuing girl
was filled with joy when she beheld the bird
rise without the child. But fearing he
would return as he seemed inclined to do,
she set up a vigorous shouting as she ran,
which attracted the hunters attention in
that direction, who, seeing the eagle quite
near him, and a lady rushing down the
slope with streaming hair and garments,
and wildly shouting, concluded at once that
there was something strange, and, perhaps,
dreadful in his Immediate vicinity, and he
also set up vigorous hallooing, and pro-
ceeded to load his gun with much precipi-
tation, forgetting to 60 after the game he
had just shot. The eagle soon became
aware of the formidable opposition he would
meet If he attempted to recapture his prey,
and, thinking better of it, he wheeled round
and swung himself, in one grand swoop,
across the river, and disappeared behind
the shelving rock which forms its opposite
bank at that point, before shot from the
hunters gun was ready to speed its flight
to its bold heart. When the girl came
down to the hunter, she fell stiff, and was
not able even to indicate what was the mat
ter. While the rough gallant was endeav-
orlng to restore her to consciousness, he
heard the scream of child, and leaving
the slowly recovering girl, he went toward
the spot where the screaming came from,
and beheld n fine, healthy, rosy boy, with
torn clothes, but otherwise uninju1ed, en-
deavoring to rise upon his little feet. The
tears streamed down his innocent cheeks,
aud his face wore most hideous express
sion. He took the baby in his arms and
carried it to the girl, who was now sufficient
ly recovered to comprehend that her belov-
ed charge was safe. She clasped it to her bo-
som, covered it with kisses, and wept with
joy. In the meantime the mother and fa-
ther of the child had returned home, and
finding it empty, with no sign to indicate
where the inmates were gone, save back
ct of spilled milk out near the barn, where
the girl had left it in her flight, they be-
came anxious and uneasy but the return
of the servant, the hunter and the wonder
full little voyageur, who had the most thrill
ing adventure that was ever heard of, re-
stored them to TRANQUILITY Thoro WOO n