Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1886-05-13
A BIRDS EYES.
Quiverfng Yellow Flames Sent Forth BY
the Orbs of q Wounded Eagle.

Quivering Yellow Flames Sent Forth By
the Orbs of a Wounded Eagle.
Nature has many surprises for those
who wait ON her. One of the greatest
she ever favored me with was the sight
of wounded Magellanic eagle-owl 1
shot on the Rio Negro, in Patagonia
The haunt of this bird was an island in
the river overgrown with giant grasses
and tall willows, leafiess now, for it was
in the middle of winter. Here l sought
for and found him waiting on his perch
for the sun to set. He eyed me so calm
" when I aimed my gun I scarcely had
the heart to pull the trigger. He had
reigned there so long, the feudal tyrant
of the remote wilderness!
Many water-rat, stealing like a
shadow along the margin between the
deep stream and the giant rushes, he
had snatched away to death; many
spotted wild pigeon had woke on its
perch at night with his cruel crooked
talons piercing its flesh; and beyond
the valley on the bushy uplands many
a crested tinamou had been slain on her
nest and her beautiful glossy dark-green
eggs left to grow pale in the sun and
wind, the little lives that were in them
dead because of their mothers death.
But l wanted that bird badly, and
hardened my heart; the ''demoni-
acal laughter with which he
had so often answered the rush
inc sound of the swift black river at
eventide would be heard no more.
fired; he swerved on his perch. remained
suspended for few moments, then
slowly tiuttered down. Behind the spot
where he had fallen was a great mass OF
| tangled dark-green grass, out of which
rose the tall, slender bOles of the trees;
| overhead through the fretwOrk of leaf
| less twigs the sky was flushed with ten
| der roseate tints, for the sun had now
| gone down and the surface of the earth
| was in shadow.
There, in such scene, and with the
| wintry quiet of the desert over it all. /
| found my victim stung by his wounds
| to fury and prepared for the last SUI
preme effort. Even in repose he is a
| big eagle-like bird; now his appearance
was quite altered, and in the dim, I'M
certain light he looked gigantic in size
"a monster of strange form and terri
ole aspect Each particular feather stood
out on end, the tawny barred tail
spl cad out like a fan, the immense
tiger-colored wings wide open and rigid,
so that as the bird, that had clutched
the grass with his great feathered
claws, swayed his body slowly
from side to sde-just as the snake
about to strike sways its head, or as an
angry watchful eat moves its tail-tirst
the tip of one, then of the other wing
touched the ground. The black horns
stood erect, while in the center of the
wheel-shaped head the beak snapped in
cessantly, producing a sound resem
bling the clicking of sewing machine.
| This was suitable setting for the
pair of magnificent furious eyes on
which 1 gazed with a kind fascination
not unmixed with fear when 1 remem
bered the agony of pain suffered or
former occasions from sharp, crooked
talons driven into me to the bone. The
irides were of bright orange color
but every time 1 attempted to approach
the bird they kindled into great globe
of quivering yellow flame, the hlacl
pupils being surrounded by scintillat
ing crimson light which threw GU
minute yellow sparks into the air
When 1 retired from the bird this prefer
natural fiery aspect would instantly van
sh.-Gentleman's Magazine.