St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1888-06-02
FAWN AND EAGLES.
4 Mother Does Heroic Defense OF
Her Little One.

y
ing with soldiers In Central Nebrasks
near pretty little stream called the
Cedar. we saw over a distant ridge a
huge eagle soaring in the air. As we
watchod him he darted fcroc;ously
down. and thcn came battling back in
the air with angry shrieks and flap
ping wings 10 repeat the dashcs again
from time to time.
'Tackling a rattlesnakc. may be!'
Go: a gopher away from his hole.
gucssr' Don't know how to get a
grip on hedgehog. probably! were
some of the many conjecturcs that
cawc from the soldiers along the line.
TOO much of racket for any such
small-fry as snakes or gophers or such
varmints." remarked our guide. as we
watched the eagle. Perhaps it's an
elk or deer some Injuns have wound
ed," he continued. So with this idea
as tho most likely explanation. the
guide and l rode over to investigate.
my thoughts bent on finding wound
ed animal which would prove the cx-
istcnce Of hostile Indians near by. rs
at that time the Cedar Greek region
was almost unknown to white men.
the nearest settlement being sixty
miles south.
As we approached the spot over
which the eagle was lowering we
noticed that there were two Of the
birds. one Of which kept on the ground.
and when the one in the air made an
attack the other would assist. return
ing to its place in the high grass rs
the other scared upward.
al knowed it was deer they were
tackling." said my guide. As at trot
we asccnded TO the summit of a ridge
and saw finc full grown doe stand
ing at bay before the eagles She was
so intent on battling with her winged
enemies that she paid no attention to
our presence. although We took no
care to hide ourselves from her: and
were only two or three hundred ards
away.
She's wounded. o course" said
the guide. as we halted to view tho
proceedings '.for them eagles know
enough not to waste their time on n
full-grown deer that is all right, an
the smell o the blood maddens 'cm.
Even the eagles did not deign to
notice what must have been our very
conspicuous presence. and angrily
ruffled their feathers and prepared for
another assault. The one on the
ground came hopping along first with
archcd neck and spread wings. like q
fighting cock in the barn-yard. and
when within ten or fifteen feet kept
circling around. the doe facing it from
whatever quarter it appeared. while
the eagle in the air slowly ap-
preached to within a foot or two.
striking its wings and pccking at the
does head. So great was this irrita-
tion from above that the desperate
deer rose suddenly Oh her hlnd-feet
and struck at the bird with her fore
hoofs As she rose. the eagle on the
ground rushed rapidly toward her.
and down she came in second.
striking at it rapidly with blows from
her forefeet that could he plainly
heard by us so far away. / though
(and hoped) that she had killed it a
first. it looked SO like a bundle o
rumpled feathers in front of her feet
hut it was only ''shamming." 10 &C
the deer to follow it up. temptation
so great that the angercd beast
did finally make one or tw,
savage leaps at it. s:rikin:
with its forefeet; but the bril- escaped
seemingly just by ''the skin Of hi
teeth" but none the less eff ectually
As the deer rushed forward. the cagl,
in the air swooped downward on th'
spot where the animal had been stand
ing. and quick as flash she whcele
from her short pursuit and made TO
the new assailant There was n,
doubt Of her success this time.
.Good!' "Well doncr' went nj
from both of u.s. rs we saw the feather
fiy and the eagle go screaming int
the air. the other hopping away to
safe distance.
There's the whole thing in nut
shell. Lieutenant" remarked th
guide. who had eyes like a hawk
':She's got little fawn with her. an
them varmints are after it for .
they're worth. 1here'e the little be Al
directly under hcr--that thing th:
looks like . little rock or stick {
wood"
My field-glasses soon verified hi
discovery and the object Of the eagle.