, 1890-11-27
FIGHT WITH AN EAGLE
A. Southerner's Experience
in Eastern Oregon.
IT Was A GALLANT BATTLE
But the Odds Wero Too Heavy
and the Noble Bird Was
Vanquished.
fAtlanta constitutional

liberty, while was ON an expedi-
ton through the mountain and des.
ert wilds of Eastern Oregon.
One evening while we were on the
shore of little lake surrounded by
high basaltic wall, we stopped to
water our horses preparatory to GO
ing into camp for the uight. My
only companion whom v will call
Jim, for short-had gone down tc
the water's edge leaving me watch.
ing the movements of u large bird
sailing in graceful circles high above
the clear, unrutlied sheet of waters
l was unable to make out what kind
of n fowl the monster was, but in a
few minutes he lowered slowly, and
pcrched himself upon the pinnacle
of II lofty crag In the rugged basaltic
wall of the high "ltlm Rock" to the
west. felt quite sure that tho bird
was out of rifle range except in the
mere luck of accident, but | wanted
to send after him II shot, anyhow.
| measured the distance, as best |
could with my eye, and then raised
the sights on my Winchestcr-for
the game was several hundred yards
away. | got good rest, took aim
and fired.
Never was there happier hunter
In this world-happy because of the
surprlse-than | was when | saw
the big bird falling in broken whirls
down through the air to the rugged
plain below.
made sure he was dead-dead
from the fall of several hundred
feet, IL not from the shot; so | ran at
once toward him, leaving my gun
with my companion. When near
enough, l realized what | had
brought down from the eyrie
heil his. II was an immense black
eagle, and l had merely wounded
him in the wing, otherwise he was
unhurt. Yet such sight of
sublime agony and intense defiance
as | beheld In his majestic counten-
ance had never before been seen by
me. | was facing one of the mos I
majestic ,crrors in scowl and scorn
aud threat that my eyes had ever
met, and | must confess that | was
badly frightened by the battle front
before me,
had rushed up to the rugged
lava bed into which the game had
gone and not thinking of the dang
cr before me, and when was with
In Ten or fifteen feet of him, the
eagle made n spring toward me,
blowing his ire In tremendous force
In my face, ana all before | was
aware of the attack upon me, and
before | could completely dodge the
blow aimed at the eyes.
The uttack-so unexpected, of
course frightened me-frghtened
me beyond measure, on the instant.
1t was my first experience with an
eagle, aud | had not fully consid-
cred the possibilities nor the des-
peration of the stricken adversary
before me. True, | had escaped
serious injury Or wound on his first
blow at me, and | beat u most hasty
retreat for II few PAGES before the
enemy could come at me again.
AS soon as | could recover my
wits, | drew my pistol-a good
Smith & Wesson, 3S-caliber-and
fired ut once ut the monster, rs he
appeared, gathering his ebbing en-
crgies for anolh her attack upon me.
hi missed, of caurse, for | was all
excitement, the wnoie nervous sys-
TEN unstrung from the fright and
the blow in my face.
The scowl and scorn and agony
and defiance i'm the eagles face grew
grinder and tiercer. lie saw that
lac was In the presence of II mortal
enemy, and he seemed determined
10 make battle to the very bitterest
end. | think the face of an eagle
in desperation Is the sullenlst eX-
preston of terror and defiance that
my eyes have ever beheld.
After the pistol shot, the bird
made another attempt to reach me
with his leg and wing. He could
run If he could not fly, and, instead
OF turning his back and making an
effort to escape In the rugged lcdges
of the lava beds, he seemed resolved
To fight, with the des peraton of
death before him.
Ills second attack upon me was
futile--the blood was flowing pro-
iusely from his wing and his
strength was fail Ing with 1t, his
energies slowly ebbing away. He
was SO sorely manned that he had
overestimnted his abilities, and 80
the second spring ut me fell short of
his aim by several feet. When he
saw the result his eyes fairly gilt
tered and flashed in fire and fury,
and his jaws chartered like the
screech of IL rattle-trap in revolution.
| made efforts TO steady my
nerves and got good aim upon
him, so that / could finish him at
once with n second shot. The sun
was now gone and my companion
was calling to me to hasten back
and have us go on to camping
place for the night.
The eagle kept his eye deliberately
upon mine; and he, too, seemed to
be steadying himself, in an effort to
summon his waning powers. 1t
was time then to fire again.
My second shot, like my first, re-
suited in failure. then moved up
closer to the bird and tried to pose
more steadily. But the third fire
only brought the spring of the bird
at me again. His failing energies
We're seen in the shortness uf his
leap. He was evidently growing
much weaker. But l could not
wait there in the lava bed longer,
for the night was coming, and what
wns | tn Hpo