Produced by Roger Frank and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net [Illustration: HE DREW REIN AND LOOKED AT THE GREAT RANGE TO THE SOUTHEAST.] THE EAGLE'S HEART HAMLIN GARLAND SUNSET EDITION HARPER & BROTHERS NEW YORK AND LONDON ------------------------------------------------------------------------ COPYRIGHT, 1900, BY HAMLIN GARLAND ------------------------------------------------------------------------ CONTENTS PART I I.--HIS YOUTH 1 II.--HIS LOVE AFFAIRS 11 III.--THE YOUNG EAGLE STRIKES 23 IV.--THE TRIAL 35 V.--THE EAGLE'S EYES GROW DIM 51 VI.--THE CAGE OPENS 72 VII.--ON THE WING 83 VIII.--THE UPWARD TRAIL 96 IX.--WAR ON THE CANNON BALL 123 X.--THE YOUNG EAGLE MOUNTS 143 XI.--ON THE ROUND-UP 157 PART II XII.--THE YOUNG EAGLE FLUTTERS THE DOVE-COTE 175 XIII.--THE YOUNG EAGLE DREAMS OF A MATE 199 XIV.--THE YOUNG EAGLE RETURNS TO HIS EYRIE 220 PART III XV.--THE EAGLE COMPLETES HIS CIRCLE 233 XVI.--AGAIN ON THE ROUND-UP 250 XVII.--MOSE RETURNS TO WAGON WHEEL 265 XVIII.--THE EAGLE GUARDS THE SHEEP 283 XIX.--THE EAGLE ADVENTURES INTO STRANGE LANDS 316 XX.--A DARK DAY WITH A GLOWING SUNSET 339 XXI.--CONCLUSION 363 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ THE EAGLE'S HEART PART I CHAPTER I HIS YOUTH Harold was about ten years of age when his father, the Rev. Mr. Excell, took the pastorate of the First Church in Rock River. Many of the people in his first congregation remarked upon "the handsome lad." The clear brown of his face, his big yellow-brown eyes, his slender hands, and the grace of his movements gave him distinction quite aside from that arising from his connection with the minister. Rev. John Excell was a personable man himself. He was tall and broad shouldered, with abundant brown hair and beard, and a winning smile. His eyes were dark and introspective, but they could glow like sunlit topaz, or grow dim with tears, as his congregation had opportunity to observe during this first sermon--but they were essentially sad eyes. Mrs. Excell, a colorless little woman who retained only the dim outline of her girlhood's beauty, sat gracelessly in her pew, but her stepdaughter, Maud, by her side, was carrying to early maturity a dainty grace united with something strong and fine drawn from her father. She had his proud lift of the head. "What a fine family!" whispered the women from pew to pew under cover of the creaking fans.