Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1896-09-08

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 friend and / eften refreshed our
selves by taking a dip in the clear
waters. One afternoon. as we were
fishing off shore near the place where
l had shot my eagle, l said to my host
with bantering triumph. Well, year
has passed and haven't seen the ghost
of that sacred eagle yet.
Never mind was the reply. you
VIII see it yet. Mark my words. 1t
Will come to you some time when you
least expect it,
I laughed and proposed that we take
a swim. as the sun was getting very
warm. and the fish were not biting at
all. My friend assented. so we un-
dressed and plunged into the lake. l
dove straight down. and catching hold
of the jagged end of large rock. opened
my eyes to look about me for mo-
ment.
Never. II ] live to be hundred.
will the sight that met my eyes at that
instant be effaced from memory. Com.
ing toward me, silently. and yet with
Incredible swiftness, was the bleached
and snowy skeleton of a gigantic bird,
with wings outstretched. 1t made no
ripple, no pulsatiOn OF the water. 1t
seemed to have no means of propulsion.
for the ghostly wings were rigid and
motionless. Yet on it came. swift and
still: and, to my Mortified imagination,
In the white sockets of the skull
cleaned those same reproachful. con-
demning eyes which the diving eagle
had turned upon me year ago.
TO say that | was fairly paralyzed
with fear but inadequately describes my
condition. Though beginning to suffer
Tor lack OF air. could not to save me
let go of my grasp of the rock. ! was
fascinated unclaimed. Every muscle in
my body was rigid and beyond control
CT the brain. And still that horrible,
mysterious specter was coming on to-
ward me. and | could neither avoid 1t
nor ward il off.
How long | chung there. suffocatiug
and helpless. l know not. only know
that. just as the water-ghost was about
10 strike me in the face, 1.-THE, white
form Mashed in between, a strong hand
seized my arm. and | was dragged for
chilly UP TO the surface of the water.
Then lost consciousness: and the next
thing | remember was being rolled over
and over on the beach. 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 appari-
ton, he smiled incredulously, even as
he said, Did l not tell you you would
see it sometime?'
But the mystery was solved, a few
days later, when, picking up a Stock
holm paper, read the following para
graph:
A CHASTITY TROPHY.
recent writer tells what may be
truly regarded as one of the most Curl
Gus incidents of natural history. In
some OF the Swedish lakes, he saws.
large birds of prey are in the habit Of
swooping down on the pike basking ct
the surface of the water. In these cases.
IL the pike be more powerful than the
bird, the latter, unable to extricate his
talons, is borne to the bottom and is
drowned Incred ible as the story seams
Ecksrom, the Rev. Moller, and other
writer's, state that the flesh of the pike
heals with the talons of the bird in it's
back. while the bird becomes converted
into skeleton, which is carried about
by pike. One skeleton. which had
long been exhibited by pike in Lake
Wetter. had acquired a greenish tinge,
and was regarded by the fishermen as a
harbinger of misfortune