Page:The Enchanted Knights; or The Chronicle of the Three Sisters.djvu/20

8 and would not return to the hand of its master, although he lured it. He followed its flight as well as he could through the large plain till the bird approached the calamitous forest, which the count would not any more dare to enter, and therefore gave up the chase. Suddenly an enormous eagle ascended above the forest, and pursued the falcon, which, on seeing so far superior an enemy, returned with the swiftness of an arrow to its master for shelter, but the eagle, darting from the sky, struck one of his heavy talons into the count’s shoulder, and with the other crushed the faithful falcon. The alarmed count endeavoured to disengage himself from the feathered monster by blows and thrusts with his spear. The eagle however seized the weapon, broke it like a reed, and screamed in his ear with a loud voice:—“Audacious man! why disturbest thou my airy dominion with thy bird hunting—the crime thou hast committed will cost thee thy life.” This speech of the bird made the count aware of the nature of the adventure that had befallen him, so, taking courage, he said:—Patience, my lord eagle, patience! What have I done to you? my falcon has suffered for his offence—I leave him to you to satisfy your appetite.” “No,” said the eagle, “I feel to day an