The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1877-05-17
The Leopard of the Air.
Paul du Chaillu.l

EYES," said Querlaoun, &C. in my youn-
ger days, / remember, my wife and my
selfwere on our plantation with some of
our slaves, and one day we heard the
cries of baby and saw a child carried
up into the sky by one of these guani-
onieps. The baby had been laid on the
ground, and the guanionien, whose eyes
never miss any thing, and which had not
been noticed soaring above our heads,
pounced on its prey, and then laughed at
us as he rose and flew to distant part of
the forest"
Then Querlaoun showed me a fetch
partly made of two huge claws of this
bird. What tremendous things the
talons how deep they could go into the
heshl
Then came the 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 of game for
them. Monkeys are what they like best
they can watch them as they float over
the top of the trees of the forest; but
sometimes the monkeys get the better of
them.
;, People had better not try to get hold
of the guanionien young, if they want
to keep their sight," said Gambo, " for,
as sure as we live, the old bird will
pounce upon the man that touches its
young"
For long time heard the people
talking of the guanionien, but had never
yet had 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 weer
so high that do not see how they could
possibly see the tree; every thing must
have been in haze to them mon
keys, of course, could not be seen. They
were, no doubt, amusing themselves
and 1 wonder if they tried to see how
near they could 60 to the sun. Some
at times flew 80 high that | lost sight o.
them.
In the afternoon l thought l woulo
ramble round. l took a double-b barre
r smooth-bore gun, and loaded one side
5 with bullet, in case [ should see large
game; the other barrel loaded with sho
: No. 2, Then l carefully plunged into th'
: woods till reached the banks of LITTLE
stream, and there heard the cry of tht
y HoHul \OOlODus SatanuS), WHICH Is Int
largest monkey of these forests. From
n their shrill cries thought there mis- Oh
:, be at least half a dozen. I was glad til
d deed that | had one barrel loaded witt
d big shot. If the mondis were not too ia
d off. 1 would be able to get fair shot ant
= kill one.
l. l advanced very cautiously until go
l. near to them. ! could then see their bi
70 bodies, long tails, and long, jet-black
,e shining hair. What handsome beast
1t they were! what nice-looking mu
N their skins would make, thought.
s. Just as l was considering which {
r. them | would fire at, saw some bi
1T thing, like shadow, suddenly come dow
u upon the tree. Then heard the fappin
ID OF heavy wings, and also the death cry
ii poor mondi. Then | saw a huge birt
to with a breast spotted somewhat like
t. leopard, raise itself slowly into the al
lie carrying the monkey in its powerful
N finger-like taloDs. The claws of one Il
at was fast in the upper part Of the neck
id the monkey; so deep were they in ii