him--far out of gunshot.

"Fortunate creature!" he said aloud; "whatever may be the troubles of
your lot, you are at least safe from exasperating _rencontres_ with your
future mother-in-law!"

We need not point out to the intelligent reader that Barret, being quite
ignorant of the eagle's domestic relations, indulged in mere assumptions
in the bitterness of his soul.

He raised his fowling-piece as he spoke, and took a long, deliberate aim
at the bird.

"Far beyond range," he said, lowering the gun again; "but even if you
were only four yards from the muzzle, I would not fire, poor bird! Did
not Milly say you were noble, and that it would be worse than murder to
kill you? No, you are safe from me, at all events, even if you were not
so wary as to keep yourself safe from everybody. And yet, methinks, if
MacRummle were still up there, he would have the chance of giving you a
severe fright, though he has not the skill to bring you down."

Now it is well-known to trappers and backwoodsmen generally that the
most wary of foxes, which cannot by any means be caught by one trap, may
sometimes be circumvented by two traps. It is the same with decoys,
whether these be placed intentionally, or place themselves accidentally.
On this occasion Barret acted the part of a decoy, all unwittingly to
that eagle or to MacRummle.

In its extreme interest in the youth's proceedings the great bird soared
straight over his head, and slowly approached the old man's position.
MacRummle was not on the alert. He never was on the alert! but his eyes
chanced to be gazing in the right direction, and his glasses happened to
be on. He saw it coming--something big and black! He grasped his
repeater and knocked his glasses off.

"A raven, I think! I'll try it. I should like it as a trophy--a sort
of memorial of--"

Bang!

The man who was half blind, who had scarcely used gun or rifle all his
life, achieved that which dead shots and ardent sportsmen had tried in
vain for years--he shot the eagle right through the heart, and that,
too, with a single bullet!

Straight down it fell with a tremendous flutter, and disappeared over
the edge of its native cliff.

MacRummle went on his knees, and, craning his neck, replaced his
glasses; but nothing whatever could be seen, save the misty void below.
Shrinking back from the giddy position, he rose and pulled out his
watch.

"Let me see," he muttered, "it will take me a full hour to go roun