Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1904-03-10

! peerlng GOWN lIoill tho heS., S"ooPSo
past it, then rose. Another smaller
eagle. too the male bird, probably,
appeared on the scene and sailed
around the tree.
The eaglet's screams excited the
children greatly, and they approached
nearer, to get better view. Several
times the parent bird swooped close
beside the suspended eaglet and rose
as if to bear it aloft; but the young
ster clung obstinately and screamed
continuously, while little Lois cried
aloud, from sympathy or excitement.
The noise seemed to rouse the ire of
the old bird and it swooped close to
the heads of the children, swapping a
wrathful. yellow beak, and uttering
short, hoarse screams.
1t came very close, Tapping it's
great wings, and its savage eyes wer
so terrifying that Lois turned crying
and ran back to where they had set
down the bushel basket; but Hale
caught up stone and flung it high
at the bird, shouting: Keep off, old
snapperbill."
Immediately the eagle swooped
again. so near that it's talons clutched
the straw hat on the boys head and
one pinion brushed his face. There
upon he seized dry hemlock bougn
and, facing the bird, which rose no
more than 80 or 40 feet in the air
struck at it as it swooped third
time But the eagle descended with
such force that Hale was knocked
over; and this time one of its talons
tore the brush from his hands, lacerat
ing his right wrist.
Screaming iercely, 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-
ward the children, but not close enough
to strike with it's claws.
Lois was now crying loudly and look
ing for some place to hide herself, but
on the burnt land there is little cover.
While the female eagle was hover
ing above them, still holding the dry
Dough, the lad remembered the corn
cutter which was in the bushel basket
along with the school-books and lunch
basket. He fourshed it defiantly,
shouting: III cut your head off, old
eagle." and the morning sun may
have cast & CLINT upward from the
blade; fer the female eagle, dropping
the bougH, sWooped again more saw
agcly 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
bushel basket over your head!" Bare
headed and bleeding himself, he gal
lantly faced the lowering bird and
brandished the corn-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
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
stant 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 the
dazed boy to his feet; but before he
could strike, the eagle swooped again
with great force. One claw buried it.
self in his upraised arm, and again he
was dragged violently from his feet.
The eagle, holding fast, with an angry
scream, beat him hard with its wings,
then sunk its hooked beak 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 MS grasp,
rose a few feet. The relief was only
for an instant, for the bird pounced
down on him again, and yet tagain. he
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 its talOns, dragged
him for number of yards, beating him
terribly with its 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 again the eagle fell upon him.
Had the male bird proved itself as |
i+c 70 mott hpr nf the chill |