Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-01-02
oUTWiTTEo BY A TEAL.
A Wounded Duck Proves Too Much fo
Three Large Eagles.

Three Large Eagles.
A Memphis sportsman told the following
interesting story to a reporter of The Appeal:
From my blind in the willows heard the
whiz of ducks wings to my left l turned
hastily, and at the same time threw my gun
to a ready. 1t was cross-fyer, ''green-
winged" teal, going like he was sent for the
doctor l fired Immediately and ewing
tipped" him. The speed with which he was
going landed him far beyond the reach, of
my second barrel As soon as he struck the
water he began to swim toward the middle
of the lake. III less than two minutes l
heard the scream of an eagle Turning my
eyes toward the sound ! saw, at a great alti-
tude above the timber, an immense bald
eagle.
"Now you'll see fun" remarked the native
with me; "but he'll never catch him. he con-
cluded, as he took an extra pull on his strong
old pipe.
By this time the eagle had begun to circle
over the wounded duck. Nearer and nearer
he drew toward the scared bird as he dimin-
ished the circle at every flight
The duck, with his sharp eyes fixed ON the
eagle, swan round and round, just as his adj
versary few. When about fifty yards above
his prey the great bird uttered a scream, as
if to put the terrified duck on his guard, and
made dart, with his talons outstretched,
| directly at him On came the eagle with the
| speed of an arrow, ard / expected to see tie
wounded duck borne away by the ''Eihg OF
BIRDS without any chance for his 'ne what
ever
"See MIN diver cried .ne native, as the
| duck went out of sgLo beneath the placid
waters. The eagle. realizing the fact that he
| had missed hisPrey shot upward in the air
| to make another onslaught As he did so he
again uttered a scream.
oDar, man; he has yelled for his mate an
| de two of 'em viii do up dat little duck if he
don't git out of dat open water and hide in de
grass remarked the negro paddler.
Scarcely had the sound of the eagles call
| died away when l saw its mate flying
| swiftly toward the battle ground. Imagined
= could see feathers ON me wounded duck rise
as these two immense birds circled above it,
After IA preliminary understanding between
them eagle No. l made another dive at the
| duck, while eagle No. 9 circled close enough
| to the water 10 catch the duck as soon as it
showed its head after its first dive from No
| l. saw the play and watched tho fight for
| life of the little duck with intense interest
| and wished that they would pass near enough
TO me to be placed passe de combat by a load
from my gun
| Look look! he maxim for do cover
| cried the negro, as the duck showed itself
| tully lOO yards nearer TIE grass. Down went
eagle No 2 and down went the duck under
the water, as l scored the fifth clean miss for
the hungry birds.
As the maddened eagle rose to give its
mate another chance it also uttered a pierre
ing scream, which, as if by magic, brought
| forth another one of its kind
| 'Dar, now, if dem FIRE great big birds amt
| 'gwlne to fight dat one little duck den I'm a
sinner" again spoke tho negro And so they
did, taking turn about as before, but with
no better success, as every dive the duck
would make brought him closer to the grass
| Once under cover, they gave up the fight,
and the wounded bird was spared until the
shades of night, when he would have to do
battle for his life with coons, mink and
other proving varmints that nightly patrol
the marsh and feeding grounds by which
| Wapanoce lake is surrounded So intent
was l on watching the fight that l missed
several good shots while the battle went on
and ended my days sport few minutes
later by stepping Off my blind into the lake.
Of course / Immediately returned to the
club house for repairs and little bracing
up.-Memphis Appeal.