their less bulk, were
nearly out of sight. But the voyageurs could see that the eagle was on
the point of overtaking the one that carried the fish. Presently, a
glittering object dropped down from the heavens, and fell with a plunge
upon the water. It was the fish, and almost at the same instant was
heard the "whish!" of the eagle, as the great bird shot after it.
Before reaching the surface, however, his white tail and wings were seen
to spread suddenly, checking his downward course; and then, with a
scream of disappointment, he flew off in a horizontal direction, and
alit upon the same tree from which he had taken his departure. In a
minute after the ospreys came shooting down, in a diagonal line, to
their nest; and, having arrived there, a loud and apparently angry
consultation was carried on for some time, in which the young birds bore
as noisy a part as either of their parents.

"It's a wonder," said Lucien, "the eagle missed the fish--he rarely
does. The impetus which he can give his body enables him to overtake a
falling object before it can reach the earth. Perhaps the female osprey
was in his way, and hindered him."

"But why did he not pick it up in the water?" demanded Francois.

"Because it went to the bottom, and he could not reach it--that's
clear."

It was Basil who made answer, and the reason he assigned was the true
one.

"It's too bad," said Francois, "that the osprey, not half so big a bird,
must support this great robber-tyrant by his industry."

"It's no worse than among our own kind," interposed Basil. "See how the
white man makes the black one work for him here in America. That,
however, is the _few_ toiling for the _million_. In Europe the case is
reversed. There, in every country, you see the million toiling for the
few--toiling to support an oligarchy in luxurious ease, or a monarch in
barbaric splendour."

"But why do they do so? the fools!" asked Francois, somewhat angrily.

"Because they know no better. That oligarchy, and those monarchs, have
taken precious care to educate and train them to the belief that such is
the _natural_ state of man. They furnish them with school-books, which
are filled with beautiful sophisms--all tending to inculcate principles
of endurance of wrong, and reverence for their wrongers. They fill
their rude throats with hurrah songs that paint false patriotism in
glowing colours, making loyalty--no matter to whatsoever despot--the
greatest of v