Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-01-01

him in similar manner, if not more
thoroughly than the first time, but was
tossed off again as lightly as though had
been feather instead of heavy weight.
| was now beginning to get provoked, and
at the imminent risk of battering off, the
most striking portion of the birds plum
age, banged him over the head with the
butt end of my stick, stunning him so that
/ might venture to get out my pocket
knife and stab him in the back over the
heart with it, which, in fact, l did, and
soon had the satisfaction Of seeing the
great proud robber stretched limp and life
less at my feet.
Cautiously raising him by the tip of one
wing to the full length of my upstretched
arm, / found that the other wing still
touched the ground so that, as | am six
feet in hight, with an arm in proportion,
some idea may be formed of his aerial
capacity. Actual measurement from tip
to tip gave him a sweep of seven and
half feet, with claws, the nails of which
were two inches long, spreading seven and
a half inches from fore to aft, and length
of nearly three feet from beak to tip of
tail. His crop contained about four
pounds of flesh and bones, which ac-
counted, perhaps, for his lack of precaution
in selecting a roost. The pure white
down beneath the rough dark feathers on
the outside of the birds plumage was of
the softest and finest texture, while the
long broad blades of wings and tail would
have made an Apache green with envy.
Meantime darkness had come upon me-
l was over half mile from my horse, and
several miles from my home. l therefore
gathered up my quarry, and began to re-
trace my steps as rapidly as the adverse
wind, which was now blowing a gale, the
peppering rain and oozing soil would per-
nit but halted to rest beneath the shelter
of the tree from under which | had fred
upon the hoary old denizen of the ancient
hills. The wind was now bowling angriIy
through the branches of the dilapidated
old eagle tree, while the thunder had be-
gun to follow the lightning so closely that
| was becoming convinced tree was no
place for shelter under the circumstances,
when at once there fell so perfect calm,
stiffness so deep and vast and awful, that
in the distance heard church bell toll
ing-softly, sweetly, peacefully.
The stiffness, however, was but momen-
tary, for suddenly the whole heaven and
all the broad earth lit up with flash so
bright and white that l fell blinded pros
trate upon the earth; kissing and splut-
tering sound close by made me doubly sure
that the venerable old eagle tree had been
split by thunderbolt; and then the wind
blew such blast that it verify seemed to
fall from the sky and burst upon the sur
face the earth; while the first discharge
of the accompanying thunder ratified like
volley of musketry hard by my ears,
which was followed by rolling and
crashing so terrific that l thought two
great worlds must be rolling their uneven
mountainous surfaces together against
each other.
My feet regained, another fash re-
vealed to me the lettering form of the |
century beaten, brave old tree in the act
of topping to the earth, wrenched from its
strong hold in the earth by the roots.
1 seized my gun, and terror-stricken, de-
camped with my booty, which 1 succeeded
in getting safely home. Ye gods me-
thought, what if have slain the storm
king of the birds and the King of Kings |
is going to be revenged
RECORDED AT WHISKY DIGGINGs, ON |
EAGLE CREEK, PLACER COUNTY, CAL.
December "a 1899