Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1870-01-27
The Leopard of the Air.
BY PAUL DU CHAILLU.

n One morning heard strange cry up
in the air. l look, and what do I see p
what do see yonder, up in tho sky? An
eagle. But what kind Of an eagle? for it
appears to me so much larger than any
eagle have ever met before. And as I
asked this, my men exclaimed: at isa
guanionien the leopard of the air; the
bird that feeds on gazelles goats, and
monkeys; the bird that is the most difficult
of any to find and to kill" eyes" said
Querlaouen, ain my younger days |
remember that my wife and myself were
on our plantation with some of our slaves.
and one day we heard the cries of baby,
and saw child carried up into the sky by
one of these guanioniens. The baby had
been laid on the ground, and the guanio.
MEN, whose eyes never miss anything, and
which had nc been noticed soaring above
our heads, pounco~ On its prey, and then
laughed at us as he rose and flew to dis.
tant part of the forest" Then Querlaouen
showed me fetch partly made of two
dous things those talors were! How deep
they could 60 into the flesh
Then came wonderful stories of the
very great strength of the bird.
The people were afraid of them, and
were compelled to be very careful of their
babies. These grand eagles do not feed
on fowls; they are too small game for
them. Monkeys are what they like best
they can watch them rs they float over the
tops of the trees of the forest, but some
times the monkeys get the better of them.
"People had better not try to get hold of
the guanionien's young if they want to
keep their sight," said Gambo; "for, as
sure as we live, the old bird will pounce
upon the MAJ. u ~ touches its young"
For long time I had heard the people
talking of the guanionien, but had never
yet had a glimpse of one
Now, looking up again, saw several Of
them. How high they were! At times
they would appear to be quite still in the
air, at other times they would soar. They
were so high that do not see how they
could possibly see the trees; everything
must have been in a haze to them mon
keys of course could not be seen. They
were no doubt amusing themselves, and
wonder if they tried to see how near they
could get to the sun. Some at times flew
so high that l lost sight of them.
In the afternoon thought would ram
BILE round. took double barrelled
smooth bore gun, and loaded one side with
a bullet, in case should see large game;
the other barrel loaded with shot No. 2.
Then carefully plunged into the woods
till reached the banks of little stream,
and there / heard the cry Of the mondi
(Cogobus Satanus), which is one of the
L. ~
their shrill cries, | thought there must be
at least half dozen together. | was,in-
deed glad that / had one barrel loaded
with big shot. If the mondis were not
too far off, I would be able to get "a fair
shot and kill one.
/ advanced very cautiously until got
quite near to them. could then see their
big bodies, long tails, and long, jet-black,
shining hair. What handsome beasts they
were what a nice looking mutf their
skins would make thought.
Just as | was considering which OF them
| would fire at, saw some big thing, like
a huge, shadow, suddenly come down upon
the tree Then | heard the Tapping OF
heavy wings, and also the death cry OF
poor mondi Then / saw huge bird,
with breast spotted somewhat like a
leopard, raise stself slowly into the air,
Carrying the monkey in its pcweriul, I'm
ger-like talons. The claws of one leg
were fastened in the upper part of the
neck Of the monkey-so deep were they
in the I esh that they were completely
buried, aud few drops of blood fell upon
the leaves below. The other leg had its
claws quite deep in the back of the mon
key. The left leg was kept higher than
the right, and / could sec that the great
strength of the bird was used at that time
to keep the neck and also the back OF the
victim from moving. The bird rose high
er and higher, the monkeys tail swayedto
and fro, and then both disappeared. twas
guanionien. Its prey was no doubt taken
to some big tree where it could be de-
voured
The natives say that the first thing that
the guanionien does is to take out the eyes
of the monkeys they catch. But there
must be powerful struggle, for these
mondis are powerful beasts, and do not die
at the eagles will. There must be great
trial of strength; for if the monkey is not
seized at an exact place on the neck, he
can turn his head, and he then intilcts
fearful bite on the breast of the eagle, or
on his neck or leg, which disables his
most terrible enemy, and then, both faii'
ing, meet their death.
looked on without firing. The mon
keys seemed paralyzed with fear when
the eagle came down upon them, and dia
not move until after the bird of prey had
taken one of their number, and then de.
camped. When | looked for then they
had fled for parts unknown to me IN tne
forest. I was looking SO intently a, the
eagle and its prey that for while
had forgotten the mondis | do not won
der at it, for monkeys l could see often,
but i is only once in great while Una.
such a scene as | witnessed could be seen
by man 1t was grand and | wondered
not that the natives called the guanionlen
the leopard of the air. AS | write thesg
lines, though several years have passed
AWAY. I see still before me that big power