The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1911-03-23

and dare the element which he had
not yet learned to master But one
wing dropped, as If injured, and he
knew the attempt would be fatal
Opening his beak angrily, he hopped
away to the other end of the terrace.
But Homer was paying no heed
TO birds at that moment. He was
staring down the steep, and realizing
that this ledge, which had proved
his refuge was now his prison. and
not unlikely to become mis- tomb.
Sinking back against a rock, and
grinding his teeth with pain, he
strove to concentrate his attention
upon the problem that confronted
him. Was he to die of hunger on
this high solitude before he could
recover sufficiently to climb down?
The thought stirred all his dogged
determination. He would keep alive,
and that was all there was about
it. He would get well; and then the
climbing down would be no greater
matter. This point settled, he dis
missed it from his consideration, and
turned his thoughts to ways and
means. After all, there was that lit
tie thread of spring tricllling from
the rock. He would have enough to
drink. And as for food-how much
worse it would have been had the
ledge been a barren piece of rock,
Here he had some grass, and the
roots of herbs and bushes. A man
could keep himself alive on such
things, if he had will enough. And,
as a last resort there was the young
eagle This idea, however was any
thing but attractive to him; and it
was with eyes of goodwill rather
than of appetite that he glanced at
his fellow prisoner sitting motionless
at the other extremity of the ledge
It'll be hard lines, pardner, if l
should hev' to eat you, after ALL" he
muttered with a twisted kind of grin
We're both of us in hole, sure
enough; an I'll play fair as longs
/ kim"
AS he mused, great shadow pass
ed over his head, and looking up he
saw one of the eagles lowering low
above the ledge. 1t was the male, his
old in tap cta rim hi
from under that strange, black brow.
He carried large fish in his talons
He was plainly anxious to feed his
captive young, but not quite ready
to approach this mysterious man
creature who had been able to in
wade his eyerie as if with wings. Hor-
ner lay as still as stone, watching
through half-closed lids. The young
eagle seeing food so near, opened
its beak wide and croaked eagerly;
while the mother bird, larger but
wilder and less resoute than her
mate, circled aloof with sharp cries
of warning. At last, unable any long.
er to resist the appeals of his hun
CRY youngster the great bird swooped
down over him, dropping the fish
fairly into his clutches, and slanted
away with a hurlied flapping which
betrayed his nervousness.
AS the youngster fell ravenously up
On his meal, tearing and gulping tine
fragments, Horner drew deep
breath.
That's where | come in, pardner,'
he explained. When i kin git up
an appetite for that sort of vittles,
I'll go shares with you, eff y'ain't got
no objection!
Having conceived this idea, Horner
was seized with a fear that the cap
tive might presently gain the power
of flight, and get away. This was
a thought under which he could not
lie still. In his pocket he always
carried a bunch of stout salmon
twine and a bit of copper rabbit-wire,
apt to be needed in a hundred forest
emergencies. He resolved to catch the
young eagle and tether it to a push.
His first impulse was to set about
this enterprise at once. With excru-
ciating effort he managed TO pull
off his heavy woolen hunting shirt
intended to use it as the toreador
uses his mantle, TO entangle the dan
gerous weapons of his adversary
Then he dragged himself across to
. the other end of the ledge, and at
I tempted to corner the captive. Fol
r this he was not quite quick enough
v however. With a flop and a squawk
, the bird eluded him; and he realized
i. that he had better postpone the un
8 dertaking till the morrow. Crawling
! back to his hollow by the bush he
. sank down utterly exhausted. Not til
the sharp chill which comes with
, sunset warned him of its necessity