The midland journal., 1898-12-23

htrument, his watch and his little store
of cash all gone. 1t was getting to be
as much as mans life was worth to
venture alone into the woods.
'In every case it was noted that the
mysterious assailant attacked only
solitary victims, and that he always
pounced upon them silently from
above and behind. 1t was enough to
make a mans blood cold to reflect that
at any moment this mysterious crea-
ture. man, beast or devil, might light
ON his neck and choke. shoot or stab
the life out of him. AS yet there was
| no record of murder against the crea-
ture, but who could tell what he might
60 If resisted or unduly provoked?
"After three different mail carriers
| had been robbed the post office officials
sent detective 70 St. Regis to look
into the matter. This man, remem-
Der. was an object of the greatest
| wonder and admiration on the part of
cur entire community. none of us ever
| having seen a real live detective be-
fore. He lodged with father during
his stay in ST, Regis. and thus ! was
brought into intimate association with
| aim. The result of that intimacy. |
think may say was what determined
my choice Of profession in life. But
| am digressing-or anticipating.
THE detective secured the woods
for days at a time. He lay in conceal
ment at various points of the post
road between St Regis and the sta
tion On the river where the mail was
delivered to the carrier. He even
risked carrying the mail himself a few
times; but. as he told me, laughingly,
| the strain of that constant twist of
the neck was too much for him.
$50 long as the detective remained
in the vicinity there were no more rob-
berries nor assaults. The clever man
discovered nothing positive. but he
puzzled out clew which he gave to
father for what it was worth when he
was obliged to leave on other business
The clew was this:
"Near the spot where the surveyc;
had been overpowered the detective
found an eagles feather. Most men
would not have given this slight cir
cumstance second thought. But a
detective is man to whom everything
possesses significance. My friend put
the feather in hispocket and pondered
ever it. He reflected that the ap.
proach of the bandit was always, ap-
parertly, through the air; that he
dropped silently down upon his victim
from behind and above, as bird of
Frey might do. Was it not possible.
then-putting two and two together
that the creature. whatever it was.
might be something in bird form?
Il saw that my father was inclined
to smile at the suggestion when it was
made TO him. but I treasured it in nv
mind for | could not help feeling
somehow that 1t came startlingly near
the truth.
mo sooner was the detective gone
than fell 10 working out his cew. To
be sure. | was only boy, but was
active and inquisitive and very desir-
Gus of doing something to prove my
self worthy of the detectives friend
ship. Besides. the post Office authori-
ties had offered a reward of 5000 tha:
would lead to the discovery of the mys-
terious highwayman, or $500 for his
actual capture. Such an incentive as
this was enough to sharpen boys
wits as well as a mans.
"The thing for me o do, concluded,
was to keep a sharp outlook for eagles
at all hours of the day. With this pur-
pose in mind, spent a large share of
my leisure time on top of cliff about
three miles from St. Regis, command
ing wide view of the valley in which
the WALLACE lay.
"The detective had been gone about
a week when. one afternoon, as l lay
upon the cliff, saw shadow sail over
the woods below me. Looking up from
my place of concealment, beheld. al
most directly over my head, the form
of great eagle outlined against the
sky. 1t was sailing over me at con-
siderable height, but l could see it
plainly enough, and there was some
thing so odd about its appearance that
[ was struck with amazement. On
either side of itsneck there hung down
what looked like a black streamer.
The effect was as if the bird were
wearing a long muffler, the ends of
which trailed below its breast.
The eagle was drifting away from
me over the valley, and its body for a
time was between me and anything
that migmt be clinging to its neck.
But finally it made a turn and could
dimly see, although the distance was
now too great for accurate observa-
tion with the naked eye, a sort of eX-
crescence on the birds back, directly
over the trailing streamers. How |
longed for a good field glass or tele-
scope! l was almost wild with curl
osity, yet could do nothing but con-
lecture over the strange appearance
Of the bird. Of one thing was almost
positive, however, and that was that
the object which was now fading away
in the distance had been directly con-
nected with every of the of the recent
robberies.
THE very next day word reached us
at St. Regis of murder and robbery
that had taken place in the next town
ship. A trapper, returning from the
settlements with a considerable sum
of money, realized from the sale of his
pelts, had been attacked in the open
roadway and havinp undouhtedly Mt