Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1896-09-03

pleading, accusing, conde1DniDg. lair
ly shiYercd and turned away my eyes
1t was u look to haunt man hin life
long. put when turned again the eyes
had glazed, and the magnificent white
eagle was stretched out in the motion
less beauty of death.
"Whcn / took my prize home. .y
host said, sadly, and more than half
seriously: L am sorry you killed the
bird. lie will haunt you to the day of
your death 1 laughed carelessly, vet
somehow my heart misgave me, and It
was weeks before could get over GER
tain apprehensive uneasiness that pur.
sued me even N my dreams.
"Ispent the ensuing winter and spring
in Stockholm; but with the return of
another summer my friend in the coun-
try invited me most cordially to repeat
my visit at his fine old estate, and as /
knew he really wanted me to come,
| had neither heart nor reason to decline.
"The weather during July was eX-
ceedingly warm, and during our fire.
quent fishing trips to Lake Fryksdal
my friends and l often refreshed our
| selves by taking q dip in the clear wa
| tcrs. One afternoon, as we were fish
ing off shore near the place where ]
| had shot my eagle, said to my host
| with bantering triumph: We'll, n year
has passed, and haven'tsee the ghost
of that sacred eagle yet!
"'Never mind was the reply. you
will see it yet. Mark my words. 1t
10 he,
least expect it.
II laughed and proposed that we take
a swim, as the sun was getting up very
warm, and the fish were not biting at
all. My friends assented, so we I'M
dressed and plunged into the lake. l
dove straight down, and, catching hold
Of the jagged end of a large rock, opened
my eyes to look about me for q mo-
ment.
''Ncver, if l live to be hundred, will
the sight that met my eyes at that in
slant be efraced from memory. Coming
toward me, silently, and yet with in
credible swiftness, was the bleached
and snowy skeleton of gigantic bird,
with wings outstretched. 1t made no
IiBplC, III JuioHtjlOIl vi luc W diCl. II
seemed to have no means of propulsion,
for the ghostly wings were rigid and
motionlCss. Yet on it came. swift and
still; and, to my Mortified imagination.
in the whitcd sockets Of the skull
cleaned those same Teproachful, con-
dcmning eyes which the dying eagle
had turned upon me year ago.
tCr0 bot 7 foi Il
with fear but inadequately describes
my condition. Though beginning to
suffer for lack of air, l could not to
save me have let go my grasp of the
rock. l was fascinated, unclaimed.
Every muscle In my body was rigid and
beyond control of the brain. And still
that horrible, mysterious spccter was
coming toward me, and could neither
avoid it or ward it off.
How long chung there, suffocating
and helpless, know not. / only know
that, just as the water-ghost was about
to strike me in the face, 1.-THE. white
form flashed in between, a strong hand
seized my arm and was dragged forci-
bly, up to the surface of the water.
thing remember was being rolled over
and over on the Lack and punched in the
ribs, and then opening my eyes on the
pale, anxious face of my friend, who had
dived down and saved me.
when, an hour or two later. told
him the story Of my deep-water ap-
arition, he smiled incredulously, even
as he said: Did not tell you you would
see it some time?'
"But the mystery was solved few
days later, when, picking UP Stock
holm paper, read the following para
graph:
"a CHASTITY TROPHY.
ga recent writer tells what may he
truly regarded as one of the most curious
incidents Of natural history. In some Of
the Swedish lakes, he says, large birds
of prey are in the habit Of swooping down
on the pike basking at the surface OF tho
water. In these cases, II the pike be more
powerful than the bird, the latter, unable
to extricate his talofs, is borne to the bot
tom and drowned. Incredible as the story
seems, Eckstrom. Rev. Mr.. Moller, and
other writer's state that the flesh of the
pike heals with the talons Of the bird in
its back. while the bird becomes converted
into skeleton, which is carried about by
the pike. Ono skeleton. which had long
been exhibited by a pike in Lake Wetter,
had acquired greeGish tinge land was
regarded by the fishermen as harbirger
OF misfortune"
-Dctroit Free pr>SS