The Eagle & The Dove

Part 3:  Of Gypsies & Eagles Chapter 5/page 1

Return To camp.

  After leaving camp, the searchers had been pushed to keep up with the dogs, who having picked up Manana’s trail, were eager to pursue it.  Such was their eagerness.  Every now and then, the handlers would have to reign them in and wait for the main party to catch up.  It soon became obvious, that the dogs where leading the searchers on a direct path towards the Silbido pass.

  It took the search party, a little over an hour, to reach the Silbido.  The ground over which they travelled was treacherous, and they moved carefully, not wanting any accidents to hold up their search. On their way, they continually called out the missing girl's  name, in case she should be lying injured nearby, or making her way home by another route.

 Habby was one of the first to reach their destination.  He called for the dogs to be restrained then looked upon the open expanse of land bathed in the light from a half moon and countless stars.  As he waited for the rest of the searchers to arrive, his eyes were constantly busy scanning his surroundings.

  When everyone had gathered, Habby told them to spread out in a single line and comb their way forward.  They had no sooner started, when a figure climbed out of the ground and run towards them.

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 'Manana,' cried Habby. 

  'Father,' came an answering call, as the figure changed direction towards Habby.

  Making her way towards the torches, Manana recognised her father's voice, and ran towards him.  She threw herself into his waiting arms, her body trembling from relief.

  Tears of joy furrowed their way down  Habby’s cheek, cutting channels were the passed through the dirt and dust.  He quickly checked Manana for injuries.  Seeing none, his face registered its puzzlement.

  'What happened?' He wanted to know.

  Manana started to explain, the words gushing through her chattering teeth.

  'Give me a blanket someone, she’s freezing.'  Habby commanded.

  Immediately, a half-dozen blankets were presented to him.  Taking two, he draped them over his daughters' shoulders to combat the cold.

  One of the searchers, fetched a jug of hot tea from the pack-mule, which he poured into a cup and offered to Manana.

  Accepting it gratefully, Manana gulped it down, and felt its warmth spreading through her.  Now she felt warmer, and her body had stopped shivering, she tried once more to explain what had happened.

  'There were these eagle feathers,' she started, 'they were scattered on the ground.  I followed them to the gully, then I slipped and fell in.  It’s down there still, the eagle at the bottom of the gully.  It’s injured, we must help it.'

  Habby and his companions looked to the gully.

  'What gully? What eagle?'  Habby demanded.

  Manana pointed towards the gully.  'It’s over there.'

  Some of the Gypsies started to make their way towards where Manana had indicated.  As they drew near to the edge of the gully, the dogs began to growl and yap, as they picked up the scent of the raptor.

  'We must keep them away.' Manana pleaded.

  Habby called the men to come back.  'Show me.'  He said to his daughter.

  Manana led the way to the spot where she had recently fallen in.  'It’s down there.' She stated.

  Leaning over, Habby was unable to see because of the ledge that blocked the view.

  'We have to climb down.' Manana informed him.

  Leaving orders for the others to stay clear of the edge,  and the dogs to be kept well away, Habby and Manana made their way carefully down the side.

  'Mother of God.' Habby proclaimed when he reached the bottom and saw the eaglet.     'What wrong with it?' He asked.

  'It must have fallen from its nest and been blown over here,'  came the reply.

  'What shall we do with it?' he wanted to know.

  'It will die if we leave it here.  We must take it back to camp, if it’s to survive.' 

  Not wanting to debate the point here, Habby climbed back up.  He ordered some of the men to fetch the stretcher and rope they had brought.  This done, he quickly explained  what he wanted doing.

  When the stretcher arrived, he passed it down to Manana, then climbed back into the gully.  At the bottom, he lay the stretcher along side the bird, and with Manana’s help loaded the unconscious eaglet on.  Calling to his colleges, he asked that four ropes be thrown down to him.  This done, he tied a rope to each corner, then gave the signal for the men on top to haul it up.  As the stretcher was raised, Habby and Manana followed it up, preventing it from swinging into the gully walls.

  When they finally hauled the stretcher up, the Gypsies natural curiosity got the better of them, and they crowded round it to see the eaglet.  Manana shooed them away, none to gently.  Taking some of her own blankets off, she used them to cover the eaglet to keep it warm.  Satisfied, she signalled that she was ready to leave.

  First Habby dispatched a rider back to camp with the news of their search.  He also told the messenger to ensure that all the Elders be assembled on their return.   

  He could not help glancing between his daughter and the eaglet.  This was now the third incident that day in which eagles had forced an intrusion into his life.  Despite the late hour, it was imperative that the Elders should discuss this new situation.

  Giving the order to return, with a man at each corner of the stretcher, the party headed of away