The evening times., 1899-07-31
CAT AND EAGLE FIGHT.
Fierce Encounter in Space Between
Bird and Animal.

North Wolcott. n. Y, July 31.-Three
young men, Carl Reupert and Andrew ].
Eggleston, of Syracuse, and H. G. Ray
mond, of Elmira, have recently been camp
ing in tent on the shore Of Lake Ontario,
near what is known as Lake Side, north
west of this hamlet.
Soon after they established themselves in
camp they were Joined by Topsy, gaunt
black cat. She came alone at first, but
after she had won their confidence she
brought her progeny, three tiny kittens.
Last Wednesday afternoon Raymond lay
asleep in hammock before the tent while
his companions were still fishing for lake
perch in a skiff just beyond the line OF
breakers.
''Topsy" after hearty fish dinner was
basking in the sun on the edge of the
shingly beach.
Over in East Bay, 100 rods distant in
the top OF tall, scraggly hemlock tree
! is an eagles nest which, this summer has
been the home of the father and mother
birds and three eaglets.
Wednesday afternoon the proud bird of
freedom was out hunting provisions for his
promising young family. Reupert and Eg-
gleston from their boat saw him float mo-
tionless. but watchful across the sky par
allel with the lake shore and at an altitude
of perhaps 100 feet. When over the camp
he espied the sleeping cat and instantly
slanted downward
The two young men saw his object. drop
ped their poles and started instantly for
the shore, shouting, till brought to a stand
| still by their ground anchor.
Raymond awoke, puzzled at the racket.
and sprang to the ground just in time TO
see the eagle soar heavenward with Top
sy, caught by the scruff of the neck. writh-
/ ing in his talons. 1t is an unlawful and
! wicked thing to shoot an American eagle
| but Raymond, thinking chiefly of the cat,
seized his light fowling piece from the
! tent and started on a run for East Bay,
whittier the eagle was now aiming after
! circling about aloft.
| At the same time Raymond's friends,
having shipped their anchor, were rowing
| swiftly in the same direction.
| Meantime the eagle was having a hot
time with Topsy. She had twisted herself
about and, bringing four fet into play, was
| leaving train of floating feathers in their
wake. The huge birds flight was slow and
/ erratic, and as he neared the home tree
he whirled blindly about in eccentric cir
| cles.
The men, eagerly watching, saw the two
| suddenly crash into the big nest which
| threatened to give way under the commo-
ton that ensued Various objects were
seen to fall. and next the cat shot out into
the air. aiighting on the end of a limb
thirty feet down, from which she slid to
| others till she reached the underbrush COW
! cred ground apparently uninjured
| The boat was drawn over the bar, and
the three young men pulled across the
narrow bay. The eagle was still aloft in
| his nest making a great outcry, his mate
responding from a distance.
| At the foot of the tree the young men
called the cat, which soon appeared limp
| ing, but dragging in her mouth one of the
young eaglets stone dead. She had plain
ly left the nest without incumbrance but
the unfiedged bird must have been flung
out during the struggle, and had probably
| been killed by its fall of seventy-five feet
The cats skin was punctured in a mum.
ber of places, but none of her hurts was
serious.