CHILDREN'S COLUMN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 10626, 15 December 1897, Page 3

CHILDREN'S COLUMN.

AN EAGLE STORY.

The Empire prints the following as a perfectly true eagle story from a Canadian correspondent :-r

One of the most remarkable escapes from death, and as exciting a tale of adventure as has been uttered for many years, is related by Peter Pipiere, a young farmer and hunter of the region just over the St. John River, in New Brunswick, who has just come up tho country after a peculiar tour. The journey covered thirty miles, and was completed in an hour. Pipiere left home, placing himself at the head of a party of young farmers, for a day's hunt. An eagle's nest on the top of Wallywas Mountain, eight miles away, was the objective point of the expedition. This expedition had in mind the capture of a pair of eagles that were known to be on the 'mountain, and the disposal of them to a circus, Every man wore heavy leather gloves, and bore in his hand a bludgeon. The capture of eagles on mountain tops is not a safe or,an easy matter, The attacking party advanced on tho works of the enemy, who were sunning themselves in the front door of their rocky nest. Ib was a sharp fight, and blood ran on both sides. But man won, and the birds were soon securely tied claw to claw. The. rope was passed to Peter, who steered bis team out to the level edge of the towering -rock, and sab down on the cord to hold tho birds still. Suddenly the birds screamed and spread their wings; Pipiero felt the power of the pinions pulling on the rope. He wasn't prepared to fly. He was in a dangerous position. From the odge of the rock where he stood the mountain ran off in a precipice to the valley, a quarter of a mile straight l down. " Help, boys, quick 1" he called excitedly, tugging ab the rope. The men made a rush for him. The eagles saw the crowd coming, and with a duet of bloodcurdling screams suddenly rose into the air and sailed off into the valley, the rope taut between them, and poor Pipiere. hanging thereto lor lite. Two eagles can easily carry a man; one can make away with a fat sheep. At first the weight of the body beneath them was too much, and the birds swung low over the treetops of the valley, after a fearful plunge from above, from where the faint cries of the man still echoed through tho forest. But after the first surprise, and terrified with the strange burden, the pair spread their bit; wings out still wider, and.flew straight out over the country, southward. Pipiere didn't know what to do. He is athletic in the extreme, and ho had strength and sense enough to Bwing both legs over the rope, and make a safe hold for himself thereon. The eagles seemed to be flying strongly. Straight over the town flew Pipiero and his flying span. Peter saw the people in tho street looking up at him and running back and forward in a crazy endeavour to see the nature of the new demon of the sky above them. But bhe birds were flying at the rate of forty miles per hour, and the town was soon left behind, Over Frenchville the birds passed at the speed of a fast express. By this time Pipiero's muscles were lame and sore from long tension, and he was woakand growing weaker. ' But the birds wero losing power too, not even they could endure the dreadful strain, and just over the Town Hall they came down lightly on the steps. The eagles were well-nigh exhausted. So was Pipiere; but he tied them up in a friend's barn and watered them. Three hours later, when his frightened companions arrived home thirty miles or so away, Peter was there to meet them, having come up in a waggon with tho eagles tied in the rear. Pipiero has the eagles still alive, and the rest of the party have voted them to him unanimously.

NAPOLEON AND HIS DEBTS. When Napoleon was a lad he studied military science ab a school at Brienne. Near the school a shop was kept by an old woman known as Mother Margaret, to whom the students used to go for lunch, or at any time when they were hungry, which was protty often. Mother Margaret was a generous good woman, and she did nob refuso food to tho students, even when they had no money to • pay her, 'and even although many of them forget whab they owed when money came to them. Bub Napoleon was not one of these; he always paid his bills, and Mother Margaret, was very fond of him. When he became a great man, and was the muster of pretty nearly all Europe, ho paid a visit to tho old school at Brienne. While there he asked for Mothor Margaret, and was surprised to learn that she was still living. He made his way alone to her house, and entered in his old free and ready fashion, without knocking, and without making himself known.

" Good morning, Mother Margaret," he said; "how is it that you are here, and haven't gone out to see the Emperor ? Is ib that you have no curiosity, or is it that you do not care about him?"

" Ah, no, sir; it is I who wish very much to see him ; and, look, here is a basket of eggs that I am going to carry to the lady of the castle where he iB staying. Then I shall stop and try to get a glimpse of him. I don't see so well to-day as I did when he used to come here and drink milk with •Mother Margaret. Ho wasn't the Emperor in those days. But, no matter; be made the other boys walk ! You ought to have seen him. And how be used to eat the eggs and the biscuits And he always paid his bill." The Emperor smiled. "So you haven't forgotten Bonaparte?" he said. " Forgotten! You don't think anybody could forget a young man like him ! So wise, so serious, sometimes sad, but always good to poor people. lam only a peasant, but I could have predicted that that young man would make his mark."

"And he hasn't done so very badly,"(aid the Emperor. "That he hasn't."

All this while Napoleon had stood with his back to the door. Now, little by little, he approached the woman, and, finally, coming squarely into the light, he began rubbing his hands and taking on, as well as he could, his old manner and voice, while be said :

"Come, now, Mother Margaret, some milk and some fresh eggs. We are ready to famish,"

The old woman looked at him curiously, as if trying to recollect him. " Oh, well, mother," he continued, " you were quite sure you should recognise Bonaparte ? We are old acquaintances." As he spoke the good woman fell at his feet. 'He lifted her gently. '"Really,, Mother Margaret, I have a schoolboy's appetite. Have you nothing to give me?' Mother Margaret, as soon as she could recover herself, brought out the eggs and the milk, The Emperor ate and drank,' and gave her a purse full of gold. " You know, Mother Margaret, I always paid my bill. Good-bye; I shall not forget you." Napoleon mounted his horse and rode away, leaving the woman weeping for joy.