Crittenden press. [volume] (Marion, Ky.) 1879-1907, 1901-10-17
TWO EAGLES WHIP A BEAR.
Novel Fight over the Possession a
q Huge sturgeon That Was
Washed Ashore.

A fight TO finish between pair OF
eagles and a bear few persons have
seen, and the sportiest sport on the
turf would hardly know on which to
bet in such a combat. Hans Larsen, a
Norwegian fisherman who has been
fishing for salmon in the Columbia
near Eagle Cliff this season, saw des-
perate fight between two fine bald
eagles that had their nest not far from
his camp and half-grown bear. The
eagles won, says the Portland Orego-
nian.
A huge sturgeon had been washed
up on the river bank, and the eagles
were using it TO feed their young. One
morning the eagles were serving break
fast to their young and one of them
had flown up to the nest with a lot
of pieces of sturgeon and the other
was tearing away at the huge fish,
when the bear came crashing through
the brush to find the sturgeon he had
scented. Bruin walked straight up to
the fish. But the eagle was not TO be
scared, and he tapped his wings and
stood on the defensive.
Big, fat sturgeon do not come ashore
along the Columbia so frequently as
they used to, and the carcass of this
one was a prize, and it rightfully be-
longed to the eagles as the original
discoveries. The bear paused a mo-
ment and then rushed at the eagle,
which gracefully eluded him, and, soar
ng short distance in the air.
screamed bloody murder as signal to
his mate. She came sweeping down
from the nest and joined forces with
her mate in an attack on the bear,
which was so busy tearing the stur,
geon that he paid no attention to the
royal birds till they landed like thun.
derbolts on his neck and rump and
sank their talons in his flesh.
The talons of full-grown eagle are
not to be sneezed at, even by bear,
and the howl of rage Bruin let out
showed that he had been both panied
and hurt. He reared up on his
launches and clawed sava gely at the
birds, which whirled agilely about him.
One would make a dash at his face and
eyes and the other would hit him in the
back of the neck like a catapult. For
ten minutes or so the bear stood uT
to the scratch" and when he had
scratching enough he began to show
signs of wanting to get away. He did
not exactly show the white feather.
for the eagles had all the white feath.
ers. but he began edging off toward the
brush, which was 80 feet distant.
As soon as he was on all fours the
eagles were on him, and he would have
to get on his launches to use his paws
effectively. The blood was streaming
down his face and showed in spots all
over his glossy hide, but the great oh.
ject Of the eagles appeared TO be to get
at Bruins eyes, and he seemed TO be
aware of this and was very anxious
to get under the protection of the
brush. The eagles were evidently just
as anxious TO prevent this. When
Bruin turned his head toward the
bushes they would plump down on his
head and try to sink their talons in
his eyes or to dig them out with their
sharp beaks and drum his ears with
their strong pinions until the poor
bear did not know "where he was at"
All this time Larsen was sitting
quietly in his boat watching what he
says was the most savage and enter
tanning fight he has ever seen. 1t was
he judges, nearly half an hour from the
time the bear came out of the brush
till he was able to drag himself back
under it's friendly cover, where the
eagles could not get at him, and he was
the most dilapidated-looking bear i'm.
aginable. The eagles few up on tree
and smoothed their ruffled plumage
and congratulated each other on the
outcome of the struggle. Then, as
their eaglets were squawking for more
breakfast, they resumed their work oil
carving and serving their sturgeon
and until it was all used up, which took
several days, no animal offered to ap.
proach it, in the daytime at least.