Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1895-05-22
A DESPERATE FIGHT.
Willie and Eddie Briggs Do Bat
tie for Life.
LITTLE HERO SAVES HIS BROTHER.
Bachelor Valley Farmers Hunt an Eagle
to Death, and Find 1t Is Monster
of It's Kind.

Clinging to the side of Hills Peak.
near Ukiah. 1000 feet above the can
yon bed, Willie and Eddie Briggs, aged
thirteen and eleven years, fought bald
eagle for their lives. The younger lad
was knocked down repeatedly, and SO
torn by the talons and beak of the bird
that he will lose his eyes and be dis
figured for life. His life was saved by
his brothers heroic attack on the eagle
with short stick, beating it off. A
party of men from Bachelor valley
organized when they heard of the
eagles attack and succeeded in killing
it, The bird measured eight feet eight
inches from tip to tip of the wings.
For four years large eagle has been
noticed in the vicinity Of Hills Peak.
and it has been supposed it had nest
in that locality. Hills Peak is one of
the most inaccessible, and at the same
time most dangerous places in the
neighborhood of Bachelor valley. For
some time farmers of the valley have
missed lambs from their flocks and
chickens from their yards, but not until
lately did the eagle become SO bold as
to be caught in the act of making off
with lamb from the flock of Lemuel
Briggs.
Seeing the swoop of the bird Mr.
Briggs went to the house for his gun,
but before he could return the great
American bird was far out of reach
To find out where the eagle made its
nest, he told his two boys to watch
and see if they could find out where it
was located.
The next day while tending to a
flock of sheep some distance from the
house the boys sighted the eagle near
the Peak and prepared to make the
ascent. To do this they had to go up
on the divide between Potter valley
and Bachelor valley and get up back of
the mountain ON the north side. The
south side is inaccessi BILE, being sheer
precipice of about 1000 feet at the
foot of Doyle creek.
Everything went smoothly with the
boys until they were nearing the top.
and, knowing that the hardest part of
their work was yet to come, they took
short rest and then commenced their
laborious work of hunting and climb
ing. The rock near the top is almost
perpendicular and they now had to use
the greatest care. for slip meant fall
to the bottom of the canyon.
The boys had reached little bench
and were commencing to get their
breath from their hard work, when,
without the least warning and before
Eddie, the youngest, could put himself
on his guard. the eagle came swooping
down upon them and almost knocked
the little fellow over the precipice.
So sudden was the descent that they
could not tell from which way the bird
came.
The eagle now commenced to circle
around them, sometimes coming within
striking distance Two boys stood as
close together as possible, to combine
forces in case of another attack, which
they realized would come sooner or
later. They also tried to get to place
of safety.
Their first movements angered the
bird, indicating their nearness to his
nest. Having for their weapons only
the short poles they used in climbing,
they were, as they soon realized, prac-
tically defenseless.
Every movement on their part was
watched by the bird, and it was not
long before the eagle, with screech,
made for the younger boy, this time
knocking him down.
The position in which they were
made is almost impossible for one to
help the other and they were at the
mercy of the fierce bird. The bird
seemed to know this and to take advan-
tage of it. and it now became a fight
for life with the boys.
They determined. if possible. to re-
trace their steps. At every turn the
eagle came swooping down upon them,
making the fiercest attacks upon the
smaller boy. Willie tried in every
way to encourage his little brother, but
from his exertions from climbing and
from resisting the fierce attacks of the
bird the lad soon lost his strength and
said he could 60 no farther.
Realizing now that his only chance
to save his brother would be to draw
the birds attention to himself, Willie
started off, telling Eddie to keep quiet
and he would look for some place
where they could defend themselves
until their father could come to their
assistance. He had not gone far when
he heard piercing screams from his
brother and returned Immediately.
He found a most horrible sight.
The eagle had pounced upon Eddie
and was tearing his face, neck and
head with beak and talons. With
almost superhuman effort Willie struck
the bird we'll directed blow and it
went screaming away. Willie found
his brother insensible and covered with
blood. He wiped the blood away as
best he could. only to find one of
Eddie's eyes protruding from its socket
Il 4 i