River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1882-01-12
Shot i'm Mid.Air.

Some years ago, says a Canadian
writer, the famous whirlpool, midway
between Niagara Falls and Lewiston,
was remarkable for the number of
eagles that were often to be seen how
ering over it or seated in some of the
lofty pines en- its edge. They were
doubtless attracted to the locality by
the dead bodies of animals that had
come over the Falls, and that were ar
rested here sometimes for days to-
gether, while the summit of the tower
ing trees afforded fine view of what
ever wild fowl passed through the gorge
of the river between the two lakes, Erie
and Ontario.
But if this was noted rendezvous
for these monarchs of the air. it was
no less so for their enemies, the hun
tiers of the vicinity, who thought it no
M can feat to tumble them from their
lofty perch with one bullet; or, more
exciting still, to suddenly recall them
from mid-air with the leaden messen-
ger, while making the first of those
sublime swoops upward that carry
them almost beyond the range of hu-
man vision.
was an eyewitness of feat of this
latter description, but the remembrance
is not pleasant one | had climbed
on the bank of the whirlpool one morn
ing, on the Canada side, when | sud-
denly came upon all acquaintance who
was one of the best hunters in the dis
trict. / saw that something was up, as
ne motioned me to halt and be quiet.
He was too late, however, for / made
some remark on catching a glimpse Of
him. The next moment | heard a
sound as of the tapping of mighty
pinions, and two eagles sailed above
us.
Their first sweep was over the whirl-
pool and, what have never observed
before in such flights, they flew almost
side by side. In the course of few
seconds they hung above us once more,
when the hunter, now directly beneath
them, took aim and fired. One seemed
to hang perfectly still in the air, but
there was wild and convulsive move
ment on the part of the other The
latter | supposed to have been the
wounded one, but the hunter assured
me | was mistaken, as it was the other
that was hurt MORALLY, and was COM
ing down gradually. AID now began
drama in the air, so touching that /
never shall forget it. The bird that
had not been touched flew about her
wounded mate in such seeming agony,
and with such a show of affection that
/ could have wept for her. Although
she could not but perceive US, she
seemed to disregard our proximity !;
and the hunter was now too much
moved himself to take advantage of
the fact.
Soon some heavy drops of blood fell
at my feet, and in few minutes the
vanquished monarch Of the air reached
the earth within a yard of me. When
he saw us he tried to gather up his
dropping plumage and regain his feet,
but he was too weak to accomplish
either; although in his last throes he
eyed us with so fierce and defiant a
glare that felt much relieved when he
fell forward and expired with feeble
scream.
In the meantime the hunter had re
loaded his rifle, and / was now scarcely
sorry that he was bringing it to bear
upon the solitary mate ofhis sad trophy
that sat listlessly close by. There was
ringing noise, and she fell dead to the
earth with dull, heavy thud. There
was no CLEAN of triumph in the eye Of
the hunter for, as he gazed on both
the noble creatures, recently so full of