Of a Lion and Eagle The S/tory of Constable Charles William Eagle Charles R Leach

Of a Lion and Eagle The S/tory of Constable Charles William Eagle      

Author: Charles R Leach  

Publisher: Leach Printers & Signs   

Edition: First 2007

ISBN: 9780620381598 

Language: English 

Condition: Good. Clean copy with tight binding. 

Binding: Softcover with illustrated cover boards  

Pages: 65.Print with images  

 

It's a strange and imposing sight: a tall black granite obelisk, rising through the brambles of a neglected cemetery on a quiet country road in South Africa.

Even more mysterious is the inscription, declaring that the man buried here was a police constable, killed "in an encounter with a lion" more than a century ago. It offers no clue as to why this grave was honoured with such a spectacular monument, while the other policemen nearby were buried with small standard markers.

When a local historian began investigating, a fascinating tale soon unfolded. The man in the grave was a Canadian aboriginal who had become a legend in the wild northern fringe of South Africa in the early years of the 20th century. And today, as the historian tells the saga to enthralled audiences across South Africa, the long-forgotten Canadian has become a legend again.

The man was Charles William Eagle, known as Billy Eagle, and was born near Canoe Creek in the Cariboo region of British Columbia. The son of an English rancher and his Secwepemc wife, he joined the Canadian Mounted Rifles and travelled to South Africa in 1902 to fight on the British side in the Anglo-Boer War. The war ended before he could fight, and so he joined the local constabulary and patrolled the dangerous northern corners of the country, where lions and other predators lurked.

Please note that we reserve the right to close our auctions at any time.

Please refer to all images for condition, as this forms an integral part of the description.

Payment to be processed within 2 days of auction closing.

The item is second hand and sold as such with no warranty or guarantee implied, expressed or given.