irtues, and revolution the greatest of crimes; they
studiously divide their subjects into several creeds, and then, playing
upon the worst of all passions--the passion of religious bigotry--easily
prevent their misguided helots from uniting upon any point which would
give them a real reform. Ah! it is a terrible game which the present
rulers of Europe are playing!"

It was Basil who gave utterance to these sentiments, for the young
republican of Louisiana had already begun to think strongly on political
subjects. No doubt Basil would one day be an M.C.

"The bald eagles have been much blamed for their treatment of the
ospreys, but," said Lucien, "perhaps they have more reason for levying
their tax than at first appears. It has been asked: Why they do not
capture the fish themselves? Now, I apprehend, that there is a
_natural_ reason why they do not. As you have seen, the fish are not
always caught upon the surface. The osprey has often to plunge beneath
the water in the pursuit, and Nature has gifted him with power to do so,
which, if I am not mistaken, she has denied to the eagles. The latter
are therefore compelled, in some measure, to depend upon the former for
a supply. But the eagles sometimes do catch the fish themselves, when
the water is sufficiently shallow, or when their prey comes near enough
to the surface to enable them to seize it."

"Do they ever kill the ospreys?" inquired Francois.

"I think not," replied Lucien; "that would be `killing the goose,'
etcetera. They know the value of their tax-payers too well to get rid
of them in that way. A band of ospreys, in a place where there happens
to be many of them together, have been known to unite and drive the
eagles off. That, I suppose, must be looked upon in the light of a
successful _revolution_."

The conversation was here interrupted by another incident. The ospreys
had again gone out fishing, and, at this moment, one of them was seen to
pounce down and take a fish from the water. It was a large fish, and,
as the bird flew heavily upward, the eagle again left its perch, and
gave chase. This time the osprey was overtaken before it had got two
hundred yards into the air, and seeing it was no use attempting to carry
off the prey, it opened its claws and let it drop. The eagle turned
suddenly, poised himself a moment, and then shot after the falling fish.
Before the latter had got near the ground, he overtook and secured it
in his talons.