The Turnbo Manuscripts
by Silas Claiborne Turnbo
1844-1925
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THE EAGLE WAS MISTAKEN
By S. C. Turnbo
John Bias, son of Hiram Bias, furnished me with this account.
"One day," said he, "while the weather was cold Bob Forest
hired me to split some rails for him on the west side of Little North Fork
and a short distance above the mouth of Calebs Hollow. This was a few miles
below Theodosia in Ozark County, Mo. I wore an old floppy black wool hat
that when the wind was blowing the brim would drop down over my eyes. One
day while I was busy splitting rails and the wind was blowing fresh from
the northwest the old hat annoyed me by the brim getting over my eyes until
I become impatient and stopped mauling rails and sit down on some of the
new made rails and pulled off a splinter to pin the brim with it to the
crown of the hat to keep it from flopping. Before taking the hat off of
my head and while I was sharpening the end of the splinter with my pocket
knife I heard a whirring noise just over my head. I turned my head and looked
upward to ascertain the cause of the sound and saw a grey eagle in the act
of striking my head with its claws. I ducked my head as quick as a didapper
would in water. At this the eagle appeared to be mistaken in the kind of
game it supposed I was and rose high in the air and flew away. No doubt,"
continued Mr. Bias, "it mistook my old black hat for a wild turkey
sitting on my head. The eagle was as much surprised as I was."
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