"I'll tell you what," said he, as he wiped the perspiration from his face; "let's see if we can't make pets of these eagles. We nearly always have more than we can eat, and it's the same sort of food these birds are used to; so why shouldn't we tie them up and keep them around the hut? Maybe they'll scare the crows and ravens away from our fish."
"That's a fine idea," said John. "We'll just try that. I had a couple of hawks once for pets. They ate a great lot, and they fought you, too, for a long while. My hawks used to lie on their backs and grab me by the hand every time I tried to feed them. I suppose these eagles will be worse yet."
"Anyhow, we'll try them," said Rob. "Let's wrap them up in our coats and take them down to the boat."
This they did, and although the old eagles followed them for two or three miles, sometimes coming rather close, and frequently uttering their wild calls of anger, the boys had no trouble in making away with their young captives. The birds seemed rather stupid than otherwise, and were as ready to eat food from human hands as from the talons of their parents. They did not really become tame, but, having learned their source of food, in a few days became so indifferent to human presence that they would only ruffle up their scanty crests and beat their wings a little when approached. They never allowed one to put a hand on their heads, and, indeed, were very far from being friendly. Their presence about the camp, however, did serve in part to mitigate the nuisance of crows and ravens, which continually hovered about, trying to steal from the scaffold where the boys kept their supplies of meat and fish. All boys like pets, and these found their strange captives interesting enough at least to help pass the time.
"I'll tell you, fellows," began Rob, a day or so after they had brought home the young eagles--"I'll tell you what we ought to do to-day after we have got the breakfast dishes done. Let's make a trip over to the big rocks beyond, where we went with Jimmy that time. If the eggs are not all hatched, and if these birds keep on laying, as maybe they do, we might still get some fresh eggs."
"That would be fine," said John, "because I for one am getting just a little tired of salmon all the while. I'd give anything for a good piece of bread and butter."