Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1907-12-28

glasses, he saw a duck and started for
1t.
The duck that the trained eagle
started after was evidently a long
ways off, for It had been out Of sight
Of the other eagle But eagles are
swift flyers, and 1t wasn't long before
Toms pet came winging back, the
duck in his claws and the field glasses
dangling from his neck. He deposited
the duck In Toms yard. Then he
started to eat 1t. But Tom didn't see
it that way.
The tame eagle didn't seem over
and above pleased at having the duck
snatched away. But he wasn't bad
hearted bird and he evidently felt
that there was something due Tom for
his trouble In training him SO on
the eagle few, and about an hour later
returned with second duck This
one Tom let him eat in peace. Through
the day the eagle hunted, taking al
ternate ducks until he had eaten all
that he cared for Then Tom claimed
all the birds that were captured, and
the good-natured eagle didn't make
any protest.
For nearly a month that eagle
hunted for Tom Ferguson. The com.
bination Of an eagles naturally keen
sight and pair of good field glasses
made it possible for him to spot any
duck for miles around. The eagle
worked regularly and caught more
birds than half dozen ordinary wild
eagles Tom was selling the ducks
and making money fast. Then the In.
born meanness of man cropped out
and put an end to what promised to
be a fourishing industry
There isn't any occasion for that
bird to eat a whole duck every other
time he returns from hunting trip,
Tom said to me one day. I've been at
all the trouble and expense of training
him and I'm entitled to at least a dGck
and half out of every two
SO Tom took trip to the city and
bought a pair of spectacles, the kind
that magnify. The next time the eagle
brought back duck Tom slipped the
spectacles o'tE his beak. Then he
cut the duck in two and gave the
eagle half Of 1t. The other half he re-
served for the use of honest old Tom
Ferguson, as he called himself.
1T was pathetic to see the puzzled
perpleXed expression on that poor
eagles face when he commenced eat
ing his half duck He was accustomed
to whole duck, but the spectaces
made the half look as big as whole
one. He looked at Tom as II he
wanted advice on the subject Tom
didn't say word, but went on placid
ly smoking his pipe. That eagle trust
ed Tom Ferguson. When Tom didn't
make move the eagle turned in and
ate the half duck He wasn't quite
satisfied, though for while it looked
as if he had eaten his usual quantity
of duck, his appetite showed him this
wasn't so. Then he few off to catch
more game for his selfish owner.
Tom was always careful to put the
spectacles on the eagle before he fed
him, ana while the iovr bird was
growing thin, perhaps be wouldn't
have discovered the deceit if 1t hadn't
been for an accident One day. while
the eagle was eating, a party of lum-
bermen went past the house. Theirs
was the eagle, spectacles on his beak
tearing away at half a duck. 1t GER
tainly was a ridiculous sight, and the
lumbermen laughed until they we're
most SICK. An eagle hates to be
laughed at, especially when he is eat
ing. Toms pet stood it as long as he
could Then he raised his head with
a quick motion as if he was consider
ing whether to fly away or do battle
with the men who were jeering at
him. The little jerk he gave as he
raised his head shook off the glasses.
The eagle looked at the piece of duck,
which seemed to have shrunk in size
Then he looked at the spectacles
After his experience in using field
glasses he knew in an instant that he
had been grossly deceived by Tom
Ferguson, the man he had trusted and
for whom he had worked so faithfully
tom had seen the spectaCles fall
off and came running up to put them