The bird did not see the party of spectators at the boundary fence; but they quickly discovered the object which the bird of prey observed.
"There! Oh, look there!" gasped Agnes. "That thing's moving!"
"It's a girl!" murmured Ruth.
"Sue Billet—as sure as you live," muttered Neale. "There's Lycurgus—over behind the fence—he's after the eagle!"
"What a dreadful thing!" exclaimed Ruth, aloud. "Is he using his own child for bait! That's what he's doing! Oh, Neale! Oh, Agnes! He's sent that child out there to attract the eagle's attention," Ruth went on to cry. "What a wicked, wicked thing to do!"
CHAPTER IX
BOB BUCKHAM TAKES A HAND
Ruth's low cry was involuntary. She did not mean to frighten the little Corner House girls; but they saw and understood as well as the older spectators. Tess and Dot clung together and Dot began to whimper.
"Oh, don't cry, Dot! Don't cry!" begged Tess.
"That—that awful aigret!" gasped Dot, getting things mixed again, but quite as much frightened as though she were right. "It will bite that little girl."