43. The Eagle's Nest

43. THE EAGLE'S NEST (27)

A man traveling about became frightened at a big eagle which he saw moving along and got into a hollow tree. Then the eagle took him, tree and all, carried him to his little eaglets, and laid him down there. The eaglets sat on the top of a high hill. When day came the mother bird went away and in the evening came back.

Then the man watched the eaglets. When they grew bigger and could fly some, and just after their mother had started away, the man came out of his log, mounted upon the back. of one of them, and came down. He tried to come toward the ground, and if the bird flew up a little, he struck it on the head and it came on down again. If it turned round and flew up again, he again hit it and it descended farther. It came on, and, when it had almost reached the ground, he heard its mother screaming behind. But the eaglet came on down and when it reached the earth he got off and ran away.