Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1898-11-10

i JSS1uAS y. OsSA q LIE strange appearance
Of the bird. Of.one thing wa 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
lpelts, had been attacked in the open
roadway, and having, undoubtedly, at
| tempted to resist his insidous assail-
| ant, had been fatally stabbed at the
base ofStheSneck. His money was gone
| and his body when discovered lay in
the road where it had fallen. There
was TO evidence. Of struggle, no foot
| prints other than those of the victim
himself; but. in the dust somebody had
| found and picked up another eagles
feather. learned this fact incidental
ly, and it settle J. in: ny mind the real
| nature Of the unknown assailant.
'ssFromsthat day I:tnever went into
the.woods with out my rifle; for father
had given me a little rifle to use in
hunting squirrels-and wild turkeys:
My, thoughts dwelt: constantly upon.
the mysterious eagle, and was always
on the lookout for the great bird. u
"Weeks passed. Excitement was
running higher than ever over the un-
canny bandit Of the woods, for holder
| and more frequent assaults were con-
stantly reported. Quite number of
settlers had moved away from sheer
terror and apprehension. The state
had taken up the ma alter and increased
the reward for the villains capture by
| another $500. 1t was just after this
had been done that my odd adventure
befell me.
Il had been cut after Wild turkeys
| ostensibly, at any rate-and was COM
ing home with an old gobbler slung
over my back. AS I approached the
| road I heard the thud of a horses
hoofs, and, as had been customary with
me, hurried forward to see the rider
pass, with vague hope that the mys-
teriors eagle might choose that very
moment to swoop down upon another
victim. 2 tE& ~
"A familiar proYerb says it is the un-
expected that happens But every
rule has its exceptions and every
proyerb as well. This time it was the
expected that happened. I had pre-
sentiment that l was about to behold
something wonderful and strange
and I did,. Hardly had / come in sight.
of the horsemans< (and there was still
a thin, concealing veil of foliage be-
tween me and the, open road when
great waving shadow came drifting
along the highway. I glanced up
and with my heart in my mouth,
saw huge bird descending with
set and motionless wings. But L
saw something more, some thing that
almost froze the blood in my veins. A
miniature man sat astride of the
eagles neck, his fierce little face set
with vindictive purpose. To this day
I can see the baneful CLEAN of his
small, blazing eyes. In one hand he
carried a glittering, naked knife. The
other hand was extended as if to grasp
in anticipation his victims hair.
"When the eagle was almost direct
ly over the unsuspecting horseman,
the pygmy bandit threw one leg over
the birds neck, sat sidewise and poised
himself ready to drop upon his victims
shoulders. Instinctively and with a
motion as quick as thought my rifle
sprang to my shoulder. Just as the
dwarf let go his hold and dropped there
was ringing report, and the eagle,
pierced through the heart by my bull
let, fell simultane ously with his pigmy
master. Both struck the flanks of the
frightened horse, and the animal
sprang forward in a wild snorting
gallop, so sudden and so endangering
to the rider that he did not even ven
ture to turn his head to see what oc-
casioned it. In a minute more horse
and rider were out of sight around
bend in the road. @
'The eagle rolled into the dust and
after few spasmodic futterings lay
still. The pigmy bandit. springing to
his fleet, glared a bout him for mo-
ment with mingled rage, and:terroriin
his weakened and contorted face.
Then. with a cry, whose utter despair
and piercing anger I shall never FOR
get, he darted into the bushes on che
opposite side Of the road and disap-
peared. d
Hardly knowing what I did, I
bounded after his disappearing form,
but the sly creature was too quick for
me. In the tangled underbrush it was
useless to pursue being who could
dart unobstructed alonga rabbit path,
and soon gave up the chase asv vain.
Leaving my wild turkey concealed
IN tho hrchoc oor 81; 4 q = :, = = !, - =