The Tucson citizen., 1902-04-18
THE BIRD WON THE FIGHT.
An Attempt TO Rob an Eagles Nest
That Did Not Succeed.

N~A~ @AhAN"pt tO AhoU mn 1INKtG AS0t
That Did Not Succeed.
Those who seek to rob birds nests
sometimes repent of their deed, espe.
cially II the bird happens to be an ca
gle as fierce as those on the California
coast. These birds are seldom shot,
and consequently they have increased
In numbers, but the eggs are In de-
mand by collectors. and a few adyen.
ferrous spirits make a business Of try.
Ing 10 secure them. Mr.. G. r. Holder
tells In the New York Commercial Ad-
yertiser of an adventure wherein two
egg hunters had trying experience
and the eagles came Off victorious.
The nest was on rocky pinnacle.
perhaps 100 feet in height, completely
separated from the shore. In storms
the waves rose, splendid mass OF
foam, to the very summit. The base
was covered with keip. and the waves
would rise eight or ten feet. then 40
suddenly drop away, leaving jagged
points upon which a boat would be
hung until overwhelmed by the next
wave.
One quiet day the men approached.
They rowed about the rock for ten min
utes. then. the sea being level, rushed
at II. With all their care. however. the
boat was dashed on a ledge, and they
found themselves prisoners on the rock
with nothing to eat-the provisions hav-
tug been lost oyerboard-and the bot.
tom of fha hnuf frtsahasi in
They rescued rope and ii can Of wa.
ter, and, being still determined to try
for the eggs. they turned their attention
TO the nest. allaying their uneasiness
by the thought that some passing yacht
sould take them off.
The rock. however, proved slippery
from long accumulation Of guano, and
the men found II impossible to climb
aearer than forty feet from the nest
One of the adventures decided TO at
tempt that last forty feet after the
fashion adopted by south Pacific ma
tives In climbing trees. A long rope,
doubled. with a stone attached to the
doubled end. was hurled over the rock
so that 1t fen on the other side. thus
enclrcling t. Then the egg hunter be-
gan climbing barefooted. not going up,
but gradually circiing the pillar and
hitching the rope upward.
In one circuit Of the rock be had gain
I'd ten or twelve feet. and the footing
was growing better. The second
brought him twenty-five feet MP. He
was reaching down to raise the rope
ghen he heard cry frota his cornpan-
Ion. and then came sharp. whistling
sound. q rush. and something filled the
air Ia front of him, striking fierce
blows and throwing him from his feet,
30 that he hung for second by the
rope, faint and bewildered.
II was the mother eagle that had
plunged down upon him from a great
height. She was driven of for a time
oy the man below. who hit her squarely
IA the breast with stone.
The hunter. still undaunted, proceed.
Nd to climb. this time with his knife be-
ween his teeth. When be was within
ive feet OF the top, the former expert
snce was repeated
\ short. sharp fight ensued. The bird
fell away. but Immediately returned.
The man struck at IL with his knife,
missed ii and then. while one OF its
claws was fastened in his clothing. lost
ais balance and fell against the rope.
The rope broke. and bird and man
went plunging into the sea.
The fact that the birds talon had
caught In his clothing saved the hunt
er's life, for the eagle az soon as 1t
struck the water. began to try 10 fly
and actually helped the man out of the
kelp bed into which ha had fallen.
Then by Its struggles it freed itself.
and the hunter swan TO the rock.
All thought of securing the eggs was
now abandoned. and the men spent
night In crevice of the
rock. the sea rising all AROUND them.
Late on the following day they were
rescued by passing boat.