The semi-weekly messenger., 1902-11-07
THE SPECTACLED EAGLE.
BY EDWIN ]. WEBSTER.

Copyrighted, 1902, by Robert Howard
Russell.)
When it grew near the end Of the
season, the last year I was up in the
woods" said the old guide reminiscent
~, Tom Ferguson used TO hang around
the camp, almighty saddened and dis
consolate man. The winter was COM
ing on, when there would be no more
hunters to guide, and, ponder over the
subject as he would, Tom couldn't see
any escape from going TO work This
cut him to the heart.
Here are these woods full of lazy
wild animals Tom said one day bitter
ly, any one of which would, or at any
rate ought to be proud of the privilege
of working for honest, old Tom Fergu-
son. But how to bring that fact home
to their benighted mind is a problem.
Now, look at the eagle" he added in
saddened tones, pointing to a big, bald
headed eagle that was circling over our
heads, that bird flies out from his nest
in the morning, captures duck aid
then does nothing more for three or
four hours. ShiftleSs, worthless crea-
lures, he would be happier and health
ier if he put in eight hours a day
steadily and then turned in the extra
birds he caught to Tom Ferguson
The eagle is the national bird
responded severely. Such talk as yours
comes pretty near being treason. And
it is a Slander on the character of re-
spectacle eagles. Just at this time OF
year an eagle doesn't have ito work
hard. But when winter really sets in
there isn't a better feathered example
of the strenuous life than the abused
eagle. Even with his eye-sight he some
times has to fly miles and miles before
he can see an unwary duck or heron
My words seemed to make quite an
impression on Tom and he pondered
over them in his solemn manner all
that evening. The next day he was
hired as guide by a man who has quite
a name as an optician. All morning it
was evident Tom had some idea in his
mind, and when they were eating lunch
he broke out.
Us there any way in which an
eagles eyesighit could be improved"'
Tom asked sort of doubtfully.
THE optician was considerably sur
prised at the question.
81 live in the city, he said, and if
you think eagles are in the habit of
strolling into my consulting room and
asking for a pair of SpectacleS, or to
have their eyes examined, you are off
in your calculations. Still, if you know
of some ailing eagle who has trouble
in reading the Eagles Evening News,
send him to me and I will do my best
for him. he added sort of sarcastical-
ly.
But Tom was in earnest bout the
matter and asked if an eagle that had
acquired the habit of using field glasses
wouldn't be able to see farther than if
he used his naked eye.
Probably he would replied the op-
tician in rather doubtful tones, but
have the eagles in these woods exhibit
ed any yearning for field glasses? You
know more about them than L do, but
it don't seem to me that there will be
much of a field for the Eagle Field
Glass industry you are contemplating.
The average eagle is pretty weu salts
fled with his eyesight as it is
tom was positive he had hit upon
great labor-Saving scheme, so he wasn't
the man to give 1T up. He sent down 20
the city and ordered a pair of small,
but powerful field glasses. Then he
climbed up to an eagles nest that he
had his eye on for some time and cap
tured one of the eaglets. Tom brought
the eaglet home and began training it.
The first thing was to get the eaglet
to look on him as his friend and to le-
gard the Ferguson house as his home
This wasn't hari, for Tom fed him
there's no denying Tom Ferguson had
great and undoubted gifts when it came
to training animals or birds. After
the eagle was tame Tom be IAN to teach
him to see the field glasses. Tom
would put the glasses ito his own eyes
and take a general survey of the coun-
try, the bird watching him closely.
Then he would hold the glasses in front
of the eaglet. Eagles are initiative
birds, and mighty Intelligent, and 1t
wasn't long before Toms pet recog-
nized that he could see a good deal
farther with the field glasses. Then
Tom hung the glasses about the birds
neck and in a little while the eagle get
so that he would pick the glasses up in
one claw, hold them to his eyes and
spend hours exploring the country
round about.
BY the time the eagle reached this
stage he was pretty well grown and the
winter had really set in. Tom judged
it was time to put his protege's train
ing to some practical advantage.
Scientific instruments, loving care
and training under the eye of the best
guide in the North Woods have been
lavished on YOU he said to the eagle.
Seek the freedom of the skies and
search for birds. This is your home,
so bring the trophies of the chase back
here. 1 prefer ducks, but I'll take any
us, and I'll take care that the good man
who owns you don't get the worst end
of it
The eagle flew up. AS soon as he
was clear of the ground he lifted the
eye glasses to his eyes and began his
search for secluded ducks. Toms idea
of using the field glasses evidently was
a good one. Another eagle had been
flying about. high in air, looking 1oc
game and not finding any. But the
minute Toms bird as fairly up, with
the increased field given him by the
glasses, he saw q duck and started for
it. Tom felt mighty proud over the
success of his experiment.
Men have talked about kindness to
dumb creatures for years. he said,
swelling out his chest. But it was re-
served for honest old Tom Ferguson to
do something practical to aid poor, suf-
fering eagles in winter time. With the
aid of his own keen vision and those