Page:The Swiss Family Robinson, In Words of One Syllable.djvu/109

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DEATH OF THE EAGLE.
91

this. If we should find a new friend, what a source of joy it will be. Will you join me in the search?"

"To be sure I will," said I; "and so shall the rest; but we will not yet tell them of this."

They were all glad to take a trip in the large boat, but they could not make out why we went in such haste.

"The fact is," said Jack, "Fritz has found some queer thing on the coast that he can't bring home, and wants us to see it. But I dare say we shall know what it all means in good time."

Fritz was our guide, and went first in his bark boat, or ca-noe. In this he could go round the rocks and shoals that girt the coast, which would not have been safe for the large boat. He went up all the small creeks we met with on the way, and kept a sharp look out for the smoke by which he would know the rock we came out to find.

I must tell you that once when he came to these parts with Ernest he met with a ti-ger, and would have lost his life had it not been for his pet the Ea-gle. The brave bird, to save Fritz from the beast, made a swoop down on its head. Fritz thus got off with a scratch or two, but the poor bird was struck dead by a blow from the paw of its foe. This was a sad loss to Fritz, for his pet had been a kind friend, and would go with him at all times when he went far from home.