The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1900-06-09

suOFb, nOarSe screams,
1t came very close, tapping its
great wings, and it's savage eyes were
so terrifying that Lois turned crying
and ran back to where they had set
down the bushel basket; but Hale
caught up a stone and flung it high
at the bird, shouting: Keep off, old
snapper-bill!"
Immediately the eagle swooped
again, so neal that its talons clutched
the straw hat on the boys head and
one pinion brushed his face. There
upon he seized a dry hemlock bougn
and, facing the bird, which rose no
more than 30 or 40 feet in the air,
struck at it as it swooped a third
time. But the eagle descended with
such force that Hale was knocked
over; and this time one of it's talons
tore the brush from his hands, ~lacerat-
ing his right wrist.
Screaming fiercely, the bird rose,
carrying the dry bough high in the
air, while the boy, alarmed and hurt,
ran backward to where little Lois
stood. The other eagle swooped to-
wardthe children, but not close enough
to strike with its claws.
Lois was 10Y crying loudly and look-
ing for some place to hide herself, but
on the burnt land there's little cover.
While the female eagle was hover
ing above them, still holding the dry
bough, the lad remembered the corn
cutter which was in the busheI basket
along with the schoOl-books and lunch
basket. He hourished it defantly,
shouting: "I1I cut your head off, old
eagle!" and the morning sui may
have cast a CLINT upward from the
blade; for the female eagle, dropping
the bough, swooped again mOr saw
agely than before.
If the boy had wavered, it would
probably have proved fatal to one or
both of the children. But Hale cried:
stop that crying, LO, and put the
busheI basket over your head!" Bare
headed and bleeding himself, he gal
lantly faced the lowering bird and
brandished the c~orn-cutter. Down it
swooped on him again; but the little
fellow, learning from experience,
lodged aside and struck as the eagle
shot past. He hit it with the point of
the blade, and felt the sudden Joy of
striking home for the first time.
Enraged, the bird turned short in
the air, screaming wildly, and dashed
at him again. This time it fixed a
talon in his back, knocking him off
his feet, and dragging him till his
clothing gave way. He fell hard upon
some small loose stones, and for an in
slant lay prostrate-so frightening
little Lois that she ran toward him,
partly raising the basket off her head.
One of the eagles swooped at the same
moment, struck its claws into the
basket, tearing it away, and wounding
the child's face.
Her shrek of pain brought tho
dazed boy to his feet; but before he
could strike, the eagle swooped again
with great force. One claw buried it.
self in his appraised arm, and again he
was dragged violently from his feet.
The eagle, holding fast, with In angry
scream, beat him hard with its wings,
then sunk its hooked beaki in his cheek.
Boy and bird fell and rolled over on
the ground; but the boy grasped the
birds neck, and with his wounded arm
dealt such blows as he could, and tore
out handfuls of feathers until the
eagle, struggling free from his grasp,
rose a few feet. The relief was only
for an instant, for the bird pounced
down on him again, and yet again. The
lad was thrown on his back, but kept
on fighting, striking and kicking up
ward with both feet. The eagle, clutch
ing his foot with it's taIons, dragged
him for a number of yards, beating him
terribly with it's wings.
The blood was pouring down Hale's
face and he could hardly see; but when
ever he discerned the shadow of the
bird and felt the wind of its swoop,
he kicked upward and struck out with
the bush-hook. Cuts on the eagles
legs and head show that some of these
desperate, random blows were effective.
Again and gain the eaglefeu upon him.
Had the male bird proved itself as
fierce as it's mate, neither of the chill.
Gren could have escaped.
At length the eagle aighted on the
ground near by. 1t was much hurt and
could no longer keep the air; but it still
strutted unsteadily forward to renew
the attack, screaming vindictively.
Weak from loss of blood, Hale could
with difficulty get to his feet; but he
used the corn-cutter as often as the
bird approached within reach. After
this manner they fought for half an
hour, when the eagle beat a retreat, it.
self hardly able to walk, much less
fly away. The other bird had flown
back to the nest.
Calling Lois to him and taking her
hand, the lad now attempted to get
up and go home with her, but found
that he could not stand alone. Lois,
who was not so badly hurt herself,
was frightened at the terrible appear
ance of her brother, and at the strange
way in which he kept falling down.
She left him at length, and, running all
the way home, told mother that the
eagles had picked HaIe's eyes Out!-for
Lois thought that he was blind.
Mrs. Robbins rushed to the place and
found Hale sitting very soberIy on a
stone, a dreadful little object. not