Democratic messenger., 1910-02-12
HUNGRY EAGLES
ATTACK A BOY
Ten Year Old Lad Compelled to
Fight Great Birds For
His Life.

Ten-year-old Ira Cottingham, Of Ring
dale, Pa, has the rare distinction Of
having had to fight with eagles for his
life, and though he defeated the great
birds, he will carry the marks of their
talons to his grave.
The eagles are believed to have been
driven to attack the boy because Of the
absence Of food. owing to the long spell
OF frozen weather in which all their
natural food disappeared. Young Cot
tingham was on his way home from
school on Thursday when attacked by
the murderous birds, and though he
shouted Justify during the 20 minutes
that he was compelled to fight for his
life no one was near enough to hear
him. The boy reached home covered
with blood and suffering from dozen
or more wounds. Had it not been for
the fact that he was finally able to find
club with which to fight the boy would
doubtless have been killed.
Since the heavy snowfall of Christ
mas, which has been succeeded by a
generally frozen up condition, small
farmers in the neighborhood of the
Loyalsock have lost several sheep. At
first the loss was attributed to cata-
mounts until the other day one of the
farmers found where portion of a
sleeps hide lay in the open, and a
wealth of plucked feathers of some big
bird. or birds, scattered about. 1t was
easily then to be seen that the sheep
were not the prey of animals. but of
birds. and eagles at that. for the feathers
were those of that variety. The eagles
had evidently become engaged in a
quarrel over their prey, and the amount
of scattered feathers indicated des-
perate struggle.
The Cottingham boy had nearly two
miles to cover between his home and
the school house. He was walking in
the public road. when his ears were sud
denly assailed by rushing sound. and
the next instant he was knocked to the
ground by the force of something which
struck him on the shoulders. at the same
time hurting him as though knife had
been thrust into his flesh. He found
himself being attacked by two immense
birds, first by one and then by the
other, each one sailing at him with
talons extended and with the swiftness
Of shot He tried to arise. but was
only partially successful. as the on
slaught was terrific.
Near where he was being attacked
some men some time that day had drop
ped stick of wood from load and
this the boy began crawling toward on
hands and knees, while the birds took
turnes about in their attack, soaring to
height of ten to twenty feet and then
diving at the boy with all the force at
their command.
Once possessed of the stick the boy had
weapon that proved quite effective,
for when the birds found him able to do
them harm they desisted IN their attack
and made Off, soon settling on an old
hemlock tree not far away, where they
rested and watched their victorious de-
fender scoot for home.
The eagles made no attempt to at
tack the boys eyes, as large hawks.
driven to desperation, do sometimes,
but his shoulders were deeply scratched
where the birds talons had repeated
ly sunken into his flesh, while several
places on his hands showed where the
birds had attacked him with their beaks
as he tried to beat them off. An effort
was made to find the birds the next day,
but they were not to be seen.