The Elbert County tribune., 1906-03-08
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y wv y Lone hoS' because Vi SUI
q itary tramps which took
1f0~ him a long way from his
own Sioux village. He
was. in fact, best content when wander
ing among the breaks and canons of
the Smoky Hill River.
At eleven years he met with an ad-
venture which gave him another name
among his people.
He had learned to set snares for
wild animals, and one day discovered
the fresh path of a doe and two fawns.
which were in the habit of going to
drink at n certain point on the river.
After several attempts Lone Boy
succeeded in snaring one of the fawns.
But when he came up with his game
a pair of bald eagles had already at
tucked and killed the fawn.
The young Sioux was very angry.
He had intended. If he should take a
young deer alive. to carry the animal
home for pet For some time he had
known where this pair of eagles-at
least. as he believed-had their nest.
He had indeed planned to watch the
growth of the young ones, and to lie
in wait TO shoot them upon their first
unwary descent from their aerie. 1t
was sometimes quite easy to secure the
much priced tail feathers of the bald
eagle in this way.
However, there was always the risk
that another hunter might be on the
watch. and so secure the prize at the
opportune moment Upon reflection,
Lone Boy determined at once to att
tempt capture of the young eagles,
and so to revenge himself upon the
parents birds for the killing of his
young deer.
More than once. from an opposing
height, he had marked the position of
the eagles nest. The huge pile of
sticks was built upon a cleft rock near
to the top of cliff which overhung
the sandy bed of canon.
This cliff was nearly n half-day's
Journey up the river, but Lone Boy
set out at the coyotes gait. and before
noon had reached the crest of the
height directly above the nest
Here he seated himself beneath n
pine and watched. Presently he saw
both the old eagles sail away into the
blue ether.
Then Lone Boy rose and began the
descent-a perilous business. Hitherto
ne had refrained from attempting it
only because of the apparent impossi-
bility of bringing the birds back. even
should he succeed in reaching their
perch. Now he had determined to
descend upon them if he could, and to
pitch them off into the canon, where
he could pluck the coveted feathers at
his leisure.
To 90 directly down the face of the
ledge was impossible; so he made his
way along the seams and crevasses of
the crowning rocks. keeping in view as
much as possible the top of a leaning
pine which stood beside the eagles
nest.
For some lengths of his body the
descent was easier than the lad had
thought. and he was already calculat-
ing with much satisfaction that lie
could really bring those young eagles
up, one at Il time, when he came to n
horizontal crevasse which he knew
to be the main obstacle to success.
Eagerly he stretched his length upon
I sharp crown of rock and peered down
upon shelf some yards below. where
the leaning pine had its root. Near the
tree was a heap of sticks. bones.
feathers and refuse. and two great
squads of birds, feathered yet downy.
sprawled upon the pile.
1t was such a little way to drop. and
vet, crane his head as he might. Lone
Boy could see no shrub nor projection
,,II
He crawled along the rim of the
crevasse. looking down from every pos
sible point of view; but everywhere the
incline dipped inward. the edges of the
rocks projecting like the linn of basin
above the eagles aerie.
c'inaly, almost despairing. the lad