The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1910-03-04
A THRILLING EAGLE STORY.
Hungry Birds Try 70 Steal Boy, Who
Beats Them on.

Variations m the routine OF news Store
dfe 70 be welcomed. and here Is one OF tn
liyrliest yarns Of the winter, told IN a Ia
porte PA. dispatch TO the Philadelphia
! Record
Ten.year--oId Ira Cot,ingham OF Ring
dale has the rare distinction OF having haC
| 10 night with eagles for his life. and though
he defeated the great birds. he will carr,
the marks Of their talons 10 his grave. Tn,
eagles are believed to have been driven /,
| attack the boy because Of the absence OF
! food. owing 20 the long spell OF frozen
weather IN which all their natural food
| disappeared. Young Cottlngham was OF
/ hi> way home from school on Thursday
when attacked by the numerous birds, and
| though he shouted Justify during the y
minutes that he was compelled to fight for
hls life no one was near enough TO hear
him. The boy reached home covered with
blood ana suffering from a dozen or more
wounds. Had il not been for the fact that
he was finally able TO lind club with which
TO fight the boy would doubtless have been
killed
Since the heavy snowfall OF Christmas.
which has been succeeded by generally
frozen-up condition. small farmers in the
nelghborhood OF the Loyalsock have lost
several sheep. At first the loss wa attrib.
uted 10 catamounts until the other DAY
one OF the farmers found where a portion
of Sleeps hide lay in the open. and a
wealth Of plucked feathers OF some big bird
or birds scattered about II 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 a desperate struggle.
The Cottingham boy has nearly two miles
to cover between his home and the school
house. He was walking in the public road.
when his ears were suddenly assailed by a
rushing sound. and the next instant he was
knocked to the ground by the force Of
something which struck him on the shout. |
iers, 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
-alons extended and with the swiftness of
/ shot. He tried to arise, but was only
partially successful, as the onslaught of the
Eagles was terrific Nearly where he was
being attacked some men some time that
lay had dropped a stick OF wood from a
Dad, and this the boy began crawling to-
ward on hands and knees, while the birds
OOK turns ABOUT IN tnelr ATTACK, soaring 10
height of 10 or 20 feet and then diving at
he boy with all the force at their com
nand.
Once possessed OF the stick the boy had
weapon that proved quite effective, for
rhen the birds found him able to do them !
arm they deslsted in their attack and
nade off, soon settling on an old hemlock
rec not far away, where they rested and
ratched their victorious defender scoot for
ONE The eagles made no attempt to at ,
ack the boys eyes, as large hawks, driven Z
D desperation, do sometimes, but his shout |.
ers were deeply scratched where the birds
alons had repeatedly sunken into his
esh, while several places on his hands
nowed where the birds had attacked him r
18th their beaks as he tried to beat them !
f. An effort was made to find the birds I
he next day, but they were not to be seen. +