While they were discoursing5, the osprey was seen to dip once or twice towards the surface of the water, and then suddenly check himself, and mount upward again. These manoeuvres were no doubt caused by the fish which he intended to “hook” having suddenly shifted their quarters. Most probably experience had taught them wisdom, and they knew the osprey as their most terrible enemy. But they were not to escape him at all times. As the boys watched the bird, he was seen to poise6 himself for an instant in the air, then suddenly closing his wings, he shot vertically7 downward. So rapid was his descent, that the eye could only trace it like a bolt of lightning. There was a sharp whizzing sound in the air—a plash was heard—then the smooth bosom8 of the water was seen to break, and the white spray rose several feet above the surface. For an instant the bird was no longer seen. He was underneath9, and the place of his descent was marked by a patch of foam10. Only a single moment was he out of sight. The next he emerged, and a few strokes of his broad wing carried him into the air, while a large fish was seen griped in his claws. As the voyageurs had before noticed, the fish was carried head-foremost, and this led them to the conclusion that in striking his prey2 beneath the water the osprey follows it and aims his blow from behind.
After mounting a short distance the bird paused for a moment in the air, and gave himself a shake, precisely11 as a dog would do after coming out of water. He then directed his flight, now somewhat slow and heavy, toward the nest. On reaching the tree, however, there appeared to be some mismanagement. The fish caught among the branches as he flew inward. Perhaps the presence of the camp had distracted his attention, and rendered him less careful. At all events, the prey was seen to drop from his talons12; and bounding from branch to branch, went tumbling down to the bottom of the tree.
Nothing could be more opportune13 than this, for François had not been able to get a “nibble” during the whole day, and a fresh fish for dinner was very desirable to all. François and Basil had both started to their feet, in order to secure the fish before the osprey should pounce14 down and pick it up; but Lucien assured them that they, need be in no hurry about that, as the bird would not touch it again after he had once let it fall. Hearing this, they took their time about it, and walked leisurely15 up to the tree, where they found the fish lying. After taking it up they were fain to escape from the spot, for the effluvium arising from a mass of other fish that lay in a decomposed16 state around the tree was more than any delicate pair of nostrils17 could endure. The one they had secured proved to be a very fine salmon18 of not less than six pounds weight, and therefore much heavier than the bird itself! The track of the osprey’s talons was deeply marked; and by the direction in which the creature was scored, it was evident the bird had seized it from behind. The old hawks19 made a considerable noise while the fish was being carried away; but they soon gave up their squealing20, and, once more hovering21 out over the river, sailed about with their eyes bent22 upon the water below.
“What a number of fish they must kill!” said François. “They don’t appear to have much difficulty about it. I should think they get as much as they can eat. See! there again! Another, I declare!”
As François spake the male osprey was seen to shoot down as before, and this time, although he appeared scarcely to dip his foot in the water, rose up with a fish in his talons.
“They have sometimes others to provide for besides themselves,” remarked Lucien. “For instance, the bald eagle—”
Lucien was interrupted by a cackling scream, which was at once recognised as that of the very bird whose name had just escaped his lips. All eyes were instantly turned in the direction whence it came—which was from the opposite side of the river—and there, just in the act of launching itself from the top of a tall tree, was the great enemy of the osprey—the white-headed eagle himself!
“Now a chase!” cried François, “yonder comes the big robber!”
With some excitement of feeling, the whole party watched the movements of the birds. A few strokes of the eagle’s wing brought him near; but the osprey had already heard his scream, and knowing it was no use carrying the fish to his nest, turned away from it, and rose spirally upward, in the hope of escaping in that direction. The eagle followed, beating the air with his broad pinions23, as he soared after. Close behind him went the female osprey, uttering wild screams, flapping her wings against his very beak24, and endeavouring to distract his attention from the chase. It was to no purpose, however, as the eagle full well knew her object, and disregarding her impotent attempts, kept on in steady flight after her mate. This continued until the birds had reached a high elevation25, and the ospreys, from their less bulk, were nearly out of sight. But the voyageurs could see that the eagle was on the point of overtaking the one that carried the fish. Presently, a glittering object dropped down from the heavens, and fell with a plunge upon the water. It was the fish, and almost at the same instant was heard the “whish!” of the eagle, as the great bird shot after it. Before reaching the surface, however, his white tail and wings were seen to spread suddenly, checking his downward course; and then, with a scream of disappointment, he flew off in a horizontal direction, and alit upon the same tree from which he had taken his departure. In a minute after the ospreys came shooting down, in a diagonal line, to their nest; and, having arrived there, a loud and apparently26 angry consultation27 was carried on for some time, in which the young birds bore as noisy a part as either of their parents.
“It’s a wonder,” said Lucien, “the eagle missed the fish—he rarely does. The impetus28 which he can give his body enables him to overtake a falling object before it can reach the earth. Perhaps the female osprey was in his way, and hindered him.”
“But why did he not pick it up in the water?” demanded François.
“Because it went to the bottom, and he could not reach it—that’s clear.”
It was Basil who made answer, and the reason he assigned was the true one.
“It’s too bad,” said François, “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 toiling29 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 oligarchy30 in luxurious31 ease, or a monarch32 in barbaric splendour.”
“But why do they do so? the fools!” asked François, somewhat angrily.
“Because they know no better. That oligarchy, and those monarchs33, 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 reverence34 for their wrongers. They fill their rude throats with hurrah35 songs that paint false patriotism36 in glowing colours, making loyalty—no matter to whatsoever37 despot—the greatest of virtues38, and revolution the greatest of crimes; they studiously divide their subjects into several creeds39, 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 utterance40 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 levying41 their tax than at first appears. It has been asked: Why they do not capture the fish themselves? Now, I apprehend42, 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 sufficiently43 shallow, or when their prey comes near enough to the surface to enable them to seize it.”
“Do they ever kill the ospreys?” inquired François.
“I think not,” replied Lucien; “that would be ‘killing the goose,’ etcetera. They know the value of their tax-payers too well to get rid of them in that way. A band of ospreys, in a place where there happens to be many of them together, have been known to unite and drive the eagles off. That, I suppose, must be looked upon in the light of a successful revolution.”
The conversation was here interrupted by another incident. The ospreys had again gone out fishing, and, at this moment, one of them was seen to pounce down and take a fish from the water. It was a large fish, and, as the bird flew heavily upward, the eagle again left its perch44, and gave chase. This time the osprey was overtaken before it had got two hundred yards into the air, and seeing it was no use attempting to carry off the prey, it opened its claws and let it drop. The eagle turned suddenly, poised45 himself a moment, and then shot after the falling fish. Before the latter had got near the ground, he overtook and secured it in his talons. Then, arresting his own flight by the sudden spread of his tail, he winged his way silently across the river, and disappeared among the trees upon the opposite side. The osprey, taking the thing as a matter of course, again descended47 to the proper elevation, and betook himself to his work. Perhaps he grinned a little like many another royal tax-payer, but he knew the tax had to be paid all the same, and he said nothing.
An incident soon after occurred that astonished and puzzled our party not a little. The female osprey, that all this time seemed to have had but poor success in her fishing, was now seen to descend46 with a rush, and plunge deeply into the wave. The spray rose in a little cloud over the spot, and all sat watching with eager eyes to witness the result. What was their astonishment48 when, after waiting many seconds, the bird still remained under water! Minutes passed, and still she did not come up. She came up no more! The foam she had made in her descent floated away—the bosom of the water was smooth as glass—not a ripple49 disturbed its surface. They could have seen the smallest object for a hundred yards or more around the spot where she had disappeared. It was impossible she could have emerged without them seeing her. Where, then, had she gone? This, as I have said, puzzled the whole party; and formed a subject of conjecture50 and conversation for the rest of that day, and also upon the next. Even Lucien was unable to solve the mystery. It was a point in the natural history of the osprey unknown to him. Could she have drowned herself? Had some great fish, the “gar pike,” or some such creature, got hold of and swallowed her? Had she dashed her head against a rock, or become entangled51 in weeds at the bottom of the river?
All these questions were put, and various solutions of the problem were offered. The true one was not thought of, until accident revealed it. It was Saturday when the incident occurred. The party, of course, remained all next day at the place. They heard almost continually the cry of the bereaved52 bird, who most likely knew no more than they what had become of his mate. On Monday our travellers re-embarked and continued down-stream. About a mile below, as they were paddling along, their attention was drawn53 to a singular object floating upon the water. They brought the canoe alongside it. It was a large fish, a sturgeon, floating dead, with a bird beside it, also dead! On turning both over, what was their astonishment to see that the talons of the bird were firmly fixed54 in the back of the fish! It was the female osprey! This explained all. She had struck a fish too heavy for her strength, and being unable to clear her claws again, had been drawn under the water and had perished along with her victim!
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1
conversed
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| v.交谈，谈话( converse的过去式 ) | |
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prey
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| n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨 | |
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Mediterranean
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| adj.地中海的；地中海沿岸的 | |
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plunge
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| v.跳入，(使)投入，(使)陷入；猛冲 | |
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discoursing
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| 演说（discourse的现在分词形式） | |
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poise
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| vt./vi. 平衡，保持平衡；n.泰然自若，自信 | |
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vertically
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| adv.垂直地 | |
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8
bosom
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| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 | |
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underneath
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| adj.在...下面，在...底下；adv.在下面 | |
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foam
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| v./n.泡沫，起泡沫 | |
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precisely
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| adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地 | |
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12
talons
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| n.（尤指猛禽的）爪( talon的名词复数 )；（如爪般的）手指；爪状物；锁簧尖状突出部 | |
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opportune
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| adj.合适的，适当的 | |
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pounce
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| n.猛扑；v.猛扑，突然袭击，欣然同意 | |
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leisurely
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| adj.悠闲的；从容的，慢慢的 | |
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decomposed
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| 已分解的，已腐烂的 | |
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nostrils
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| 鼻孔( nostril的名词复数 ) | |
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18
salmon
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| n.鲑，大马哈鱼，橙红色的 | |
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hawks
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| 鹰( hawk的名词复数 )； 鹰派人物，主战派人物 | |
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squealing
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| v.长声尖叫，用长而尖锐的声音说( squeal的现在分词 ) | |
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21
hovering
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| 鸟( hover的现在分词 )； 靠近（某事物）； （人）徘徊； 犹豫 | |
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bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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pinions
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| v.抓住[捆住]（双臂）( pinion的第三人称单数 ) | |
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beak
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| n.鸟嘴，茶壶嘴，钩形鼻 | |
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elevation
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| n.高度；海拔；高地；上升；提高 | |
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apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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consultation
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| n.咨询；商量；商议；会议 | |
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impetus
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| n.推动，促进，刺激；推动力 | |
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29
toiling
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| 长时间或辛苦地工作( toil的现在分词 )； 艰难缓慢地移动，跋涉 | |
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30
oligarchy
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| n.寡头政治 | |
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luxurious
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| adj.精美而昂贵的；豪华的 | |
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monarch
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| n.帝王，君主，最高统治者 | |
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monarchs
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| 君主，帝王( monarch的名词复数 ) | |
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34
reverence
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| n.敬畏，尊敬，尊严；Reverence:对某些基督教神职人员的尊称；v.尊敬，敬畏，崇敬 | |
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35
hurrah
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| int.好哇，万岁，乌拉 | |
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patriotism
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| n.爱国精神，爱国心，爱国主义 | |
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whatsoever
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| adv.（用于否定句中以加强语气）任何；pron.无论什么 | |
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virtues
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| 美德( virtue的名词复数 )； 德行； 优点； 长处 | |
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creeds
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| （尤指宗教）信条，教条( creed的名词复数 ) | |
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40
utterance
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| n.用言语表达，话语，言语 | |
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41
levying
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| 征（兵）( levy的现在分词 )； 索取； 发动（战争）； 征税 | |
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apprehend
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| vt.理解，领悟，逮捕，拘捕，忧虑 | |
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sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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44
perch
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| n.栖木，高位，杆；v.栖息，就位，位于 | |
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45
poised
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| a.摆好姿势不动的 | |
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46
descend
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| vt./vi.传下来，下来，下降 | |
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47
descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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48
astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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49
ripple
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| n.涟波，涟漪，波纹，粗钢梳；vt.使...起涟漪，使起波纹； vi.呈波浪状，起伏前进 | |
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50
conjecture
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| n./v.推测，猜测 | |
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51
entangled
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| adj.卷入的；陷入的；被缠住的；缠在一起的v.使某人（某物/自己）缠绕，纠缠于（某物中），使某人（自己）陷入（困难或复杂的环境中）( entangle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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52
bereaved
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| adj.刚刚丧失亲人的v.使失去（希望、生命等）( bereave的过去式和过去分词)；（尤指死亡）使丧失（亲人、朋友等）；使孤寂；抢走（财物） | |
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53
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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