d be death by starvation. But what was probable did not
happen in this case. When we reached the trap we found in it a fine
golden eagle, alive and in splendid condition. Around him lay the
remains--the well-picked bones--of some twenty rabbits and as many
grouse which his mate had brought, and so saved him from a
lingering death.

The captive eagle, with its great beak dripping with the rabbit's
blood, flashed its bright round eyes and ruffled its feathers as
Jerry picked up a large stone and prepared to dash it at the bird's
head. Quick as might be, I arrested his uplifted arm.

"O, Jerry!" I pleaded; "dinna kill him, man. We have not so many
eagles as that. Give the bird his liberty."

Jerry dropped the stone, and looked at me with a kindly smile.

"Well, Ericson," he said, "you're maybe right. A dead eagle isna
much good after all. We'll let the bird fly."

Whilst Jerry attracted the attention of the eagle forward I went
behind, and, taking my knife from my pocket, I was proceeding to
open the jaws of the trap, when Jerry exclaimed, "Look out! look
out aft!" and before I understood his warning, I was thrown bodily
forward by a tremendous blow on my back.

The first eagle had watched our proceedings while on the wing, and
had flown to her mate's assistance, alighting on my back, at the
same time burying her talons in my woollen muffler. In my fall,
however, I liberated the captive eagle, which hopped about lamely
for a while, and then giving a kind of guttural chuckle, flapped
his wide wings, and rose gracefully into the air.

Jerry rushed forward to rescue me from the pecking beak of my
assailant. Fortunately the female bird, in her eagerness to follow
her mate, did not show fight when Jerry belaboured her with his
stick, but disentangled her claws from my muffler; at the same
time, giving me some severe scratches. Then she took to flight in
pursuit of her companion, and soon the pair of birds were seen
sailing side by side far up among the leaden clouds.

I was not seriously injured, and, so far from regretting that we
had not been victorious in the encounter, we were pleased at being
the means of restoring the captive bird to its noble mate.

Chapter XXX. An Orcadian Voyage.

Shortly after midnight, when I lay comfortably in my bunk, I was
awakened by hearing the anchor scraping and thumping against the
schooner's bow; then there was a hauling of ropes on deck and a
creaking of timbers as the sa