Caught in a Tree by Mayne Reid

4.8

Part I

“One day I was in the forest. All day I hunted and got nothing. In the evening I came to the Mississippi. I said to myself: ‘It is late, I must go home,’ but then I thought: ‘My wife is hungry and she has no money. I must stay here till morning. Perhaps in the morning I can kill something.’

I saw a big tree and stopped under it. I was very tired. I lay down and in two minutes I was asleep. At 4 o’clock in the morning a terrible noise woke me. I looked up and high up in the tree I saw a big nest with two young eagles in it. I remembered the English gentleman in New Orleans who wanted a pair of young eagles for the London Zoo. He could pay good money. I said to myself: ‘I shall get up into that tree and get these young eagles.”

Part II

“In two minutes I was up the tree, but it was very difficult to get to the nest. When at last I got there and could look into the nest, I saw the two young eagles and also some food for them—meat and fish. The old birds were not there.

When I tried to take the young eagles out of the nest, I suddenly felt a terrible pain in the back of my head. I looked round and saw the mother eagle. And she was ready to make a second attack. You must know how strong these eagles are!

‘It will be better to get down,’ I thought and I got down on to a lower branch. Here I sat and rested; I think perhaps I fell asleep. And then suddenly from below me I heard a terrible noise: I looked and saw water all around me. There were many big trees between me and the river and now they all fell down one after another into the water. But my tree stood in the water and shook. I understood what it was: a flood on the Mississippi. There was water all around my tree. ‘I hope this tree doesn’t fall,’ I said to myself.

What could I do? I cannot swim, so I could only sit where I was. I sat on my branch all the night and waited for help.

In the morning I saw a boat on the river. I cried, ‘Help! Help!’ But the people in the boat did not hear me. They were too far away. Later a second boat passed, then a third, a fourth. Every time I cried out, but they did not hear me. And so passed my first day on the tree. In the evening I was very hungry.”

Part III

“I remembered that there was some meat and fish in the eagle’s nest. And so I went up to the nest again. Of course the birds attacked me but this time I was prepared. I had to fight with them, but I got some fish and ate it. Now I was not hungry. But soon I wanted to drink. That was terrible. There was water so near and I could not get it. I thought and thought. Suddenly I saw what I could do. I took off my shirt and tied a string to it. Then I let my shirt fall into the water below. When I got it out, it was full of water and I could drink.

I lived six long days on that tree. Every day I got up to the nest and found some food there. So I was not hungry and there was always water under the tree.

When there is a great flood on the Mississippi, the water lies for months after the flood!

But I could not stay on the tree all my life and I began to make a plan in order to get away. I was not afraid of the eagles now. We were good friends. They saw I did nothing bad to the young birds. Often the eagles sat near me on the same branch. I knew that eagles have very strong wings. Perhaps they could carry me over the water to dry land. And I could help them a little, if I moved my arms and legs in the water.

So I decided to catch the two old eagles. It was difficult but I did it after some time. Then I took my string and tied their four legs together. After this I tied myself to the same string. Then I jumped into the water.

My plan was good: the eagles carried me through the branches down, down, down and soon I was in the water. Now the birds began to beat the water with their wings. I moved my arms and legs in the water and helped them as much as I could. They went to the other side of the river. Very soon I was on dry land.”

“And what did you do with the eagles?” I asked Zeb. “Did you let them go?”

“Of course not,” said Zeb. “I sold them to the Englishman and got good money for them.”