Evening star., 1898-03-11
THE RELEASE OF THE EAGLE.
Friend or Enemy. the Farmer Freed
the Bird of Freedom.
Whittier OF Whittier, Cal.

From the Whittier OF Whittier, Cal.
There was an interested crowd before a
large glass front. Everybody that came
along stopped either to make inquiries or
elbow in toward the window to see what
the attraction was. Inside was magnifi-
cent white-headed eagle. There was a
chain from its right foot to a huge piece of
iron, some water in pan. an untouched
piece of fish, few sods and large card
with the words, For Sale"
The big birds wings dropped OH either
side, to lis feet. Its eyes were glazed and
Gim-looflns. II opened and shut them now
and then. but revcr once turned them to
the Jostling, noisy crowd that stood just
outside the glass. There were no marks of
eyes, the dropping wings, the soi,cd white
about the head and the ruiiied feathers
over the body showed that the captive had
been in chains much longer than 1T had
been in the window.
One of the cr owd in the street was a
sturdy young farmer who had come into
town early that morning. He had pushed
his way to the front and stood looking
In silence for long time at the great
helpless bird. He was sure he had seen
Ii before. 1t had been captured. he learned
from what some of the crowd said. in the
country from which he had come That
settled it; it was the same bird.
He had seen il on the mountain where
he sometimes had hunted for a stray sheep
He knew the big pine in the top of which
1t had its nest. He had noted IT soar ma
JeStlcally and free about him, as he worked
in the valley. and had seen it sit motionless
Tor hours on the top of some tall, distant
r2npike. Now and then he had had sus-
plcion that it had carried off an occasional
lamb. and had more than once tried to
shoot the bird, but had never succeeded i'm
getting near enough.
The young farmer elbowed his way along
the window to the door of the store; then
ne went in.
What dye want for that bird?" he said
''TG like to buy i'm
Two dollars" was the reply
Very well, I'll take i'm
He paid over the money, and the bird
was handed out to him.
The crowd at the window watched eager
ly as the farmer came out with the big
eagle under his arm and went straight
across the street to where ladder leaned
against billboard that was some ten or
twelve feet high. At the foot of the lad
er he stopped and took the chain from the
birds leg, then he went slowly up and
placed his old friend-or enemy, he was
not sure which but no differcnce-on the
top of the billboard, and came down.
The great bird had been a prisoner so
long that 1t seemed for time to have for
gotten how 10 be free 1t sat for a while
as it had sat in the window But gradual
ly 1t came to itself. 1t lifted first one
dropping wing and tucked ii closely to its
side, then the other. 1t raised itself slow
~ 10 us lull HeiSnt ana stretched out Its
great head toward the sky. The dulIness
went out of the eyes, and a fierce new light
flashed in: then, nervously stretching out
its huge piniohs on either side and taking.
4 step or two forward. it rose with a hoarse
scream and swept out toward the SUM-
A burst of applause from the crowd met
the farmer as he recrcssed the street.
Il had seen him on the mountain he
said, an' 1 couldn't beaI to see him there"
He pointed to the window; then i'm a mo-
ment, he was gone.