The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1897-07-24

IN st. Nicholas, Wclcott LIE Clear
Beard writes of Moses, q Tame
Eagle one of his pets while he was
engaged in engineering i'll southern
Arizona. Mr.. Beard gives the follow
ing account of its capture:
7 saw Oh the rounded top Of u OF
the giant cacti with which these des-
erts are thickly studded an eagle the
like OF which, though familiar with the
fowls Of that region, I had never before
seen, aud / may here add that we never
did with any certainty discover the
species to which she belonged. | rode
near to get a better view, but she de-
sired 70 closer acquaintance, for, after
unfolding her wings once or twice in a
h~esitating sort Of as | APP
proached, she finally spread them and
flew heavily away, a couple of pistol
shots from the wagon having only the
effect ct increasing her speed. The Gao
tus Oh which she had been resting was
a very fair sample Of the largest variety
Ill tlt "t1Iu IL l4lilb 1L1thGSIlIS pidLt.
Of the. thickness Of a mans body. it
rose straight from the ground, a beauti-
full iuted column of vivid apple green.
to a height of % feet, where a cluster Of
branches nearly as thick IS the parent
stem grew out from it and turned mp
ward, while the main trunk, without O
bend, rose several feet higher.
RntSp91,, $x--o ~ tl1ra I,,,,at,p- o~I
the trunk there was built q nest Of good
sized sticks, about twice as large as a
bushel basket, and OF this my eyes hap
pened to be resting when the,noise of
the shots brought above its edge a little
head covered with grayish yellow fuzz,
out Of which peercd two big round eyes
with ar air Of anxious inquiry.
In that desert country, far from rail
ways and towns, we led rather dull
lives, 50 the several pets we possessed
in the big permanent camp miles away
served IL no small measure to amuse
us, and to these we wished to add our
young friend Of the cactus. But how to
get him down was q problem.
Somebody suggested that a volunteer
S1Ahib 1IO 1SCtAS, Uub LIZ jig 4 GnU
himself forward to do SO. The Spanish
name by which it is known is ~sujuarro,
which, put into English, means that
which scratches" and as the spines
which thickly cover the outer edges Of
the ridges are from enc to four inches
long and as sharp as needles it will be
seen that the name gives a good idea Of
the plant.
We did not like to cut it down. for
fear the fall might injure the fiedgling,
but after some debate 10 better method
presented itself, so the two axmen set
TO work. As the first blows made the
green shaft tremble, the head appeared
once more. trying, with an expression
of concern, to see what was going on
below, but this the thick sides Of the
nest prevented. Then it locked at rae
and said, .Jark!' This was the first
remark Moses ever made to us and there
was no time for more then, for the axes
had eaten through the pulpy mass,
which now began to bend to its fall.
As the nest tilted we could see the
thick body belonging to the head, with
two big claws clutching wildly, while
the weak, featherless wings tapped
madly in an instructive effort to support
their owner.
The cactus came down with a crash,
and, running up, we looked for our bird,
but only a little gray down was visible,
with n leg helplessly extended from
under a big branch which, broken BY
the shock had faIIap across .rd ,ln,oc+
hid him. We feared he was killed, but
when by means of an axhead hooked
around the prickly stuff it was pulled
aside he gathered himself together,
quite unhurt, and then, surveying the
strange beings who surrounded him,
made up his mind to them with that
philosophy we later learned to be one
OF his traits, and opening his great
mouth to its fullest extent limited that
he was hungry and wanted something
to eat.