oo bad," said Francois, "that the osprey, not half so big a bird,
must support this great robber-tyrant by his industry."

"It's no worse than among our own kind," interposed Basil. "See how the
white man makes the black one work for him here in America. That,
however, is the _few_ toiling for the _million_. In Europe the case is
reversed. There, in every country, you see the million toiling for the
few--toiling to support an oligarchy in luxurious case, or a monarch in
barbaric splendour."

"But why do they do so? the fools!" asked Francois, somewhat angrily.

"Because they know no better. That oligarchy, and those monarchs, have
taken precious care to educate and train them to the belief that such is
the _natural_ state of man. They furnish them with school-books, which
are filled with beautiful sophisms--all tending to inculcate principles
of endurance of wrong, and reverence for their wrongers. They fill their
rude throats with hurrah songs that paint false patriotism in glowing
colours, making loyalty--no matter to whatsoever despot--the greatest of
virtues, and revolution the greatest of crimes; they studiously divide
their subjects into several creeds, and then, playing upon the worst of
all passions--the passion of religious bigotry--easily prevent their
misguided helots from uniting upon any point which would give them a
real reform. Ah! it is a terrible game which the present rulers of
Europe are playing!"

It was Basil who gave utterance to these sentiments, for the young
republican of Louisiana had already begun to think strongly on political
subjects. No doubt Basil would one day be an M.C.

"The bald eagles have been much blamed for their treatment of the
ospreys, but," said Lucien, "perhaps they have more reason for levying
their tax than at first appears. It has been asked: Why they do not
capture the fish themselves? Now, I apprehend, that there is a _natural_
reason why they do not. As you have seen, the fish are not always caught
upon the surface. The osprey has often to plunge beneath the water in
the pursuit, and Nature has gifted him with power to do so, which, if I
am not mistaken, she has denied to the eagles. The latter are therefore
compelled, in some measure, to depend upon the former for a supply. But
the eagles sometimes do catch the fish themselves, when the water is
sufficiently shallow, or when their prey comes near enough to the
surface to enable them to seize it."

"Do they ever k