He
rode on several miles in advance without checking speed, and then came
to a wood where rapid motion was inconvenient; so he pulled up, and,
dismounting, tied Charlie to a tree, while he sauntered on a short way
on foot.
On coming to the edge of a small plain he observed two large birds
engaged in mortal conflict. Crusoe observed them too, and would soon
have put an end to the fight had Dick not checked him. Creeping as
close to the belligerents as possible, he found that one was a wild
turkey-cock, the other a white-headed eagle. These two stood with
their heads down and all their feathers bristling for a moment; then
they dashed at each other, and struck fiercely with their spurs, as
our domestic cocks do, but neither fell, and the fight was continued
for about five minutes without apparent advantage on either side.
Dick now observed that, from the uncertainty of its motions, the
turkey-cock was blind, a discovery which caused a throb of compunction
to enter his breast for standing and looking on, so he ran forward.
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