The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1888-04-21
THE FAWN AND THE EAGLE.

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Some twelve years ago, while scouting
with soldiers in central Nebraska, near
pretty little stream called the Cedar, We
saw over distant ridge huge eagle
soaring in the air. As we watched him
he darted ferociously down, and then
came battling back in the air with angry
shrieks and Tapping wings to repeat the
dashes again from time to time.
"Tackling a rattle snake, maybe p
SCOT gopher away from his hole,
guess r. "Don't know how to get a grip
on hedgehog, probably r' were some of
the many coniectures that came 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 wounded" he
continued. So with this idea as the most
likely explanation, the guide and rode
over to investigate, my thoughts bent on
finding wounded animal, which would
prove the existence of hostile Indians
near by, as 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
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,
returning to it's place in the high grass
as the other scared upward.
81 knowed it was a deer they were
tackling," said my guide, as at trot we
assembled to the summit of ridge and
saw fine, full grown doe stand at bay
before the eagles. She was so intent on
battling with her winged enemies that
she paid no attention to our presence. al
though we took no care to hide ourselves
from her, and were only two or three
hundred yards away.
"She's wounded, o. course" said the
guide, as we halted to view the proceed
ings, "for them eagles know enough not
to waste their time on full-grown deer
that is all right, an the smell o the blood
maddens EN-"
Even the eagles did not deign to no.
tice what must have been our very con-
spicuous presence, and angrily ruffled
their feathers and prepared another
assault. The one on the ground came
hopping along first with arched neck and
spread wings, like fighting cock in the
barn-yard, and when within ten or fifteen
feet kept circlng around, the doe facing
it from whatever quarter it appeared,
while the eagle in the air slowly ap-
preached to within foot of two, strik-
ing it's wings and pecking at the does
head. 80 great was this irritation from
above chat the desperate deer rose sud
denly on her hind. feet and struck at the
bird with her fore-hoots. AS she rose,
the eagle on the ground rushed rapidly
toward her, and down she came in a
second, striking at it rapidly with blows
from sher forefeet that could be plainly
heard by us SO far away. L thought
land hoped that she had killed it at first,
it looked 80 like bundle of rumpled
feathers in front of her feet but it was
only "shsmming," to get the deer to fol-
low it up, temptation SO great that
the angered beast did finally make one
or two savage leaps at it, striking with
its forefeet, but the bird escaped, SEEM
ingly just by "the skin of its teeth" but
none the less effectually. AS the deer
rushed forward, the eagle in the air
swooped downward on the spot where
the animal had been standing, and quick
as a fash she wheeled from her short
pursuit and made for the new assailant.
There was no doubt of her success this
time.
"Good r swell done r. went up from
both of us, as we saw the feathers fly
and the eagle go screaming into the air
the other hopping away to a safe dis
lance.
There's the whole thing in a nutshell,
Lieutenant" remarked the guide, who
had eyes like hawk. "She's got a little
fawn with her, and them varmints are
after it for all they're worth. There's
the little beast directly under her-that
thing that looks like little rock or stick
o. wood.
My field-glasses soon verified his dis
covery and the object of the eagles. 1t
was the part of one to stay on the ground,
while the other hung in the air directly
over the doe. IL she attacked the one in
the air, the other was to try and get the
young one, and not succeeding was to