WOUNDS FROM CLAWS VERSUS TEETH DISCUSSED--MR. ROSS'S STORY OF THE BATTLE
WITH THE EAGLES--THEIR MOUNTAIN AERIE--THEIR HUNTING SKILL--THEIR
VORACITY--THE EAGLETS--THE CONFLICT--THE RESULT--THE PAINFUL WOUNDS.
The next day, as Sam was having his hand dressed, quite a discussion
arose in reference to which wounds were the more painful, those received
from the teeth of wild animals or those from the claws. Sam's present
opinion, very decidedly expressed, was that those from the claws were
the worse. This was the general testimony also of the Indians when
questioned on the subject, one of their reasons being that the teeth
were smoother and did not make such a torn, jagged wound as did the
claws. Another was that the claws were very much dirtier than the
teeth, and hence the wounds of the claws were much slower in healing
than were those from the teeth.
"But what about hydrophobia from the bites of the dogs and wild
animals?" said Frank.
To this Mr Ross's reply was that that dreadful disease was about
unknown among them, although there were said to have been some cases
occurring from the bites of the fox.
"Did not a Governor-General of Canada die from the wounds received from
the bites of a fox?" said Alec.
"Yes," replied Mr Ross. "It was a tame fox, but it was supposed that
it had gone mad."
"Perhaps it had been bitten by a mad dog, and then became mad itself,"
said Sam.
"That is in all probability the correct solution of the difficult
problem, which for a long time troubled many medical men and others,"
said Mr Ross.
"Are there any other birds in this country with claws or talons equal to
those of this great owl?" asked Sam.
"O yes," replied Mr Ross, "those of the great eagle, which is the first
of all the migratory birds to reach us, are more terrible. It is
generally seen during the March moon, and so the Cree Indians call that
moon, or month, Mikisewpesim, the eagle moon. The Indians prize the
feathers of the golden eagle very highly. The magnificent war bonnets
of the great chiefs are made of them, and every warrior of any note is
very ambitious to have his eagle plumes. They are hunted only for their
feathers, beaks, and claws. Their flesh is worthless. They are very
wary birds, and it is indeed a skillful hunter who can get within range
of one of them by ordinary stalking. They build their nests, or aeries,
as they are called, away up on the most inaccessible cliffs, where it is
dangerous for even the most experienced mountain climbers to follow.
When not engaged in nesting they spend a great deal of time in circling
around in the bright blue sky, at heights so great that the eye can
scarce discern them, and where the arrow or bullet of the best-armed
Indian fails to reach them. Indian cunning, however, sometimes enables
them to capture the eagles in traps, and then their beautiful pinions,
that had enabled them to soar away into the blue heavens above, become,
next to the scalps of their enemies and the necklaces of the grizzly
bears' claws, the proudest ornaments with which they can decorate
themselves."
"Did you ever have one attack you?" said Sam.
"Or did you ever try to get hold of a wounded one's talons with your
naked hand?" said Alec.
This latter question caused some laughter at Sam's expense, as at him it
was evidently aimed, in view of his recent mishap with the owl. Mr
Ross's answer was grateful to Sam, as it stopped the laughter and showed
that others might make the same mistake or meet with similar adventures.
"Yes, indeed," said Mr Ross, "for I can answer both questions that way.
It was long ago when my father had charge of a Hudson Bay trading post
away west of this, where the Rocky Mountain ranges were not very far
distant from us. I was fond of sport, and went with the Indians on all
sorts of hunting adventures. Sometimes we would be gone for days
together, and have all kinds of strange experiences. We hunted every
kind of wild animal that roamed in the prairies, in the foothills, or in
the mountains themselves. Very glorious was the scenery among these
magnificent mountains. Once when out with some Assiniboines, or
Mountain Stonies, as they are generally called by the whites, we saw a
large eagle attack a mountain sheep with such fury that the sheep lost
its footing and went whirling down the mountain side to certain
destruction. The eagle, instead of swooping down on the quivering
carcass, as we had expected it to do, dashed at what we now observed for
the first time--a little timid lamb that its mother had vainly tried to
defend. The fierce eagle, with an exultant scream, fastened its strong
talons into the back of the frightened little creature, and then,
flapping its great wings, began slowly rising from the rock. We watched
it as it slowly flew away until it landed on a ledge of rocks away up on
a mountain side near the top. As soon as it landed we observed that
there was its aerie, for from a clump of sticks some little heads were
outstretched for food. The eyes of my Indian attendants gleamed with
satisfaction, and they said:--
"`We will soon have your feathers, old Mr Eagle, and that will stop
your destroying our mountain game.'
"While the side of the mountain on which the eagles had built their nest
was quite precipitous, the back part was easily scaled, so that hunters
with level heads could climb, by being careful, up so high that they
could really look down into the eagle's nest. The nearest point from
the nest that we could reach was perhaps fifty feet away. We did not,
however, at once go that near. We did, however, crawl near enough to
see the fierce, savage way in which the old bird tore that young
mountain lamb to pieces and fed the voracious young eaglets, that
struggled and fought with each other in their mad greed. While they
were thus being fed by the old male bird we saw the mother arrive with a
rabbit in her talons. When she saw the feast that had been provided for
the young brood she laid the rabbit on one side, and patiently waited
until her mate had satisfied the voracious appetites of the brood. Then
she and the other eagle tore to pieces the rabbit, and devoured it, with
what was left of the mountain lamb.
"`Big dinner all around, everybody full,' said my Assiniboines; `big
sleep next, then old ones go away for a big fly, and then we set our
traps for them; but while they sleep we eat and sleep too.'
"We drew back very cautiously into a ravine about a quarter of a mile
down the mountain side, to a place where we had noticed some dry wood,
for we were not quite above the timber limit. Here we made a fire and
had something to eat. It was difficult to make the tea, as the water,
although boiling, had so little heat in it at that height on the
mountain. We unstrapped our blankets and lay down near the fire and
went to sleep, for we were very weary, having been up some nights before
on the lookout for a mountain lion that had been lurking about. I woke
up after a couple of hours' sleep and found that both of the eagles had
been seen by the watchful Indians to fly away from the nest. As the
length of their absence was very uncertain, the Indians quickly set to
work to make the snares, in which they expected to entrap them. Steel
traps were unknown in those days, and so the Indians had to make theirs
out of their strong buffalo sinews and deerskin twine.
"When we went back to the place where we could overlook the nest it was
evident that there would be some difficulty in getting down onto the
ledge where the young eaglets lay quietly sleeping. After various
trials it was decided that the only way was for one of our party to be
lowered over and let down by the rest. As I was much the lightest one,
and as the supply of material that we had with us out of which to
improvise a rope was very limited, I was the one selected to go down and
put the snares in position. It was decided that we would not disturb
the eaglets to-day, but would leave them alone for the present, for fear
the old eagles would become alarmed and suspicious, and we would fail in
capturing them. The rope, such as it was, held me all right, and landed
near the nest. The young birds were so gorged with the flesh of the
mountain lamb that they were very stupid, and hardly stirred. I set to
work as speedily as possible to arrange the snares, so that the eagles
would step into them. As they were all constructed on the running noose
principle we knew that they would quickly tighten around the feet if
once they were stepped into. My principal difficulty was in finding
places where I could tie the other ends of the snares. Eagles are very
powerful, and can drag by the foot great weights. So I knew that all
our work would be lost if I did not succeed in tying them so that their
most desperate struggles to get loose would be in vain. However, I
succeeded at length, and then I was hoisted up and we all returned back
a mile or so and there camped for the night.
"The next morning, before we reached the spot, we heard enough to
convince us of the success of our scheme. Eagles can make a big noise
if they try, and two captured eagles, and some frightened young ones,
were noisy enough as we drew near and investigated. Both eagles were
firmly caught in these snares of rolled and twisted sinews, which,
although not much thicker than common wire, were sufficiently strong to
hold them. The Indians wished to shoot them at once, but I had long had
an ambition to own a live, full-grown eagle, and therefore I would not
let them fire. The rope of yesterday was soon brought into use again,
and was lowered down once more to the rocky ledge, armed only with a
stout club about four feet long. The noise was simply deafening that
was made by these angry birds. The instant I landed they flew at me
most viciously. Well was it that the strong sinews held them firmly.
As it was I had a rough time of it. I would watch my opportunity and
try to strike one of them a heavy blow on the head with my club. To my
surprise I received in return a heavy whack from a powerful wing. Their
wings were free, and the length of the string enabled them to attack me
from all quarters. Seeing my difficulties, I called to my Indians to
shoot the female bird, and thus leave me but one to tackle. This they
did by shooting her through the head. This left me but the old male
bird. I think I could have easily knocked him over the head, but my
ambition was to capture him and to take him home as a trophy. I
unfastened the noose of the dead eagle, and, tying it to the rope, had
the Indians hoist it up to the top. Then I made the attempt to tie
together the legs of the young eaglets to have them also drawn up to the
summit. What fighters they were! The way they struck at me with their
little beaks, and in every way possible resented my interference with
their liberty, was wonderful. My hands were sore and bleeding ere I
succeeded in sending up the last of the four to my comrades. I had them
throw down the snares, and with them I made a kind of a lasso which I
tried to throw over the head of the vicious bird. As I threw it he
coolly reached up and cleverly caught it in his beak, and snapped it in
two as quickly as could a pair of scissors. I tried it again, and once
more he was too much for me. Why he had not cut himself loose when in
the snare was a mystery to me when I here saw how clever he was in
cutting my lasso. It was looking rather discouraging, and began to fear
that he would have to be shot.
"My comrades had been amused spectators of my adventures, and now,
seeing me uncertain as to what would be my best move, gave me some
advice. It was this: `Untie the other end of the long noose that holds
him to the rock where you fastened it, and tie it to the rope, and we
will pull him up and see what we can do with him here.' This plan
struck me as a capital one, and so I immediately proceeded to carry it
out. But I had decided on this plan without taking the eagle into my
confidence, and so when I began handing the string he flew at me, and
with beak and wings assailed me. I had foolishly dropped my heavy club,
and so at first was about powerless. Fortunately, I had my hunting
knife at my side, and, quickly drawing it, I fought for my life. The
eagle cleverly warded off my lunges at him by striking me with his
wings. Sometimes so heavily did his blows rain on me that it was a
wonder I was not stunned. Apparently gaining courage by his success, he
seemed to redouble his attacks, and for a time kept me wholly on the
defensive. Making a sudden dash at him with the hope of plunging my
knife into him, he so cleverly, with one of his wings, knocked aside my
knife that in my stumble I found I had awkwardly cut the noose that
bound him. As I knew that his talons were now free I presumed he would
at once avail himself of his liberty and fly away. But he had now no
such idea. His blood was up, and so with a scream of defiance, or
triumph, he flew right at my face, with his great ugly talons extended,
as though he would grip me up as he had done the lamb. When attacked we
naturally will do anything to save the face, and so the instant he
dashed at me I threw up my left hand to grasp hold of him somewhere.
This fortunately arrested his dash at my face, and in the next instant I
had plunged my knife under his outstretched wings into his very vitals,
and he was a dead eagle. So terrible, however, was that death grip on
my hand and wrist that it was not until I was hauled up with him to the
top that the Indians were able to set me free, and then it was only done
by cutting the sinews or muscles of each great claw and taking them out
of my flesh."
"Well," said Sam, "that is a splendid story; but you must have suffered
much more than I did, and so as regards my little experience with the
owl, well, I think I'll _ould_ my tongue."
And so he did.