Both mice searched but there were no more footprints. Not from the right nor the left, it's suggested that Katherine Meadows jumped down from the cliff.
"Where would she go?" Dawson asked.
"Search more," said Basil. "There should be more clues."
They looked around yet having to close their eyes whenever the rain dropped on their faces. The problem was, the footprints faded out and the puddles were rising; and the rain continued to get harder and there was another huge shake.
"There's nothing out here!" Dawson yelled from the strong, loud rain. "We better go back to Grace."
"No, not yet!" said Basil.
"Basil, there's nothing out here! I think we should get back to Grace and wait until it stops raining!"
"We are not stopping now! Keep searching!"
Basil looked around again hoping there would be more clues but Dawson is right. There isn't anything around. The footprints were gone and they were the only animals on the cliff. Plus, another shake occurred. Not just on the ground but also a puddle indicated the heaviness of the sound.
"That's an impact term, that's what it is," Basil mumbled nervously.
Also, about the puddle, is that it's shaped from a bird's paw print. It's big enough from a large bird and there were three claws protruding from the tips. The eagle was here.
"I'm fairly alarmed here."
Now it made sense. Katherine ran here after obtaining the egg and threatened the eagle by dropping it. Either the eagle got her or she jumped. More shakes occurred that Basil looked around again, this time he found a cloth tied to a bush that's sprouted on the cliff along with others. She hid from the eagle after she dropped the egg. Basil saw it further down the cliff due to a few broken shards but there was no dead eagle baby. A scavenger would've eaten it or the eagle saved the baby. He could climb down and study the shards but more of the shaking vibrations happened that Basil didn't dare stay longer. Plus, he was getting cold from the rain.
"Dawson, there are egg shards on the bottom of the cliff there, and I found this."
He took the cloth and studied it.
"Is that from Mrs. Meadows?"
"Yes, it is. She cut herself by accident after fighting the eagle. I'm sure she's still alive and it's likely she'd go back to the car. We have to head back." Realizing that Katherine Meadows is in danger, for angering the eagle, he now has to save her and Grace. It's likely the eagle will go after Grace as well. Eagles are known to be vicious predators.
"Thank you," said Dawson, relieved. "Grace is going to be happier."
Without further ado, and with Basil dropping the cloth, the two mice walked back to the steam car. Grace would still be inside but that's not what they were expecting.
"HEY!" someone yelled.
From their left was the squirrel. The same red squirrel Basil and Dawson met before.
"I found you!"
"You were looking for us?" Dawson asked politely yet confused.
"Yeah!" The squirrel ran to them. "The lady mouse told me to get help!"
"Where is she, then?!" Basil asked.
"At some kind of contraption. I don't know what it is."
"The car," Basil mumbled. "Dawson, hurry! We have to get back!"
The shakes were still going.
"And what is that?!" the squirrel yelled. "What's making that shaking?!"
"I think it's the eagle," Dawson thought loudly.
He could be right or not, Basil didn't know. It could still be something bigger than the eagle. Something that could easily kill them. Big Ben was starting to come to mind.
"I'll go with you guys," said the squirrel.
"Fine," Basil mumbled. He cannot think back to it. He needs to work and keep Grace safe. Also, to find Katherine Meadows. They need to get out of the forest.
Together with the squirrel, Basil and Dawson continued to run. More of the rain poured and fell onto their soaking bodies as they trudged through the muddy grass and passed a few more trees that were either in front of them or at their right side. They didn't stop until they came back to the car.
Luckily, Grace is still inside but not in a good mood. Dawson can see it on her face that he didn't have to ask. He instead asked her kindly, "Grace, what's wrong?"
Grace just shook and pointed to the certain tree.
"What is it?"
"I…I…I saw s-something," Grace stuttered.
"Was it your mother?" Basil asked. Grace shook. "Where is she?"
Basil looked around but Dawson at least went into the car to sit next to Grace as his partner covered himself tightly with his coat.
"What did you see, Grace?" Dawson asked her.
"Sc-Scary eyes," she stuttered while still staring at the tree.
Because of that, Dawson looked over to the tree. There were eyes by the tree but they were in the bushes, not the tree. That's why he gasped loudly.
"Basil, look!" Dawson pointed to the bush.
Basil also looked but instead of him backing away he yelled, "Reveal yourself!"
The eyes popped out of the bush but revealing a small face. A mouse's face and the animal had brown fur.
"Mommy!" Grace shouted happily. She almost jumped out of the car but Dawson held her back. He wasn't sure if it was her or not.
"Come here, whoever you are!" Basil yelled.
The mouse then climbed out of the bush while carrying a large bird's egg. Now Dawson knew that Grace is right. It is Katherine Meadows. She's wearing her usual green Victorian dress and black dress shoes but no hat. It's likely her hat was torn.
"Quiet!" she yelled. "Be quiet! It's coming here."
She was close enough to talk to them that she put the slightly cracked egg next to her.
"What are you doing with the egg?" Dawson asked before Basil could.
"It's time for revenge, that's what. This eagle tried to kill me so it's payback time."
"Give the egg back to the eagle," Basil told her. "Then we can leave."
"No. Not yet. Just wait until the eagle returns then we'll leave."
"Your plan will not work. Just get inside the car and we'll give the egg back."
More shakes occurred.
"But aren't you happy? I clipped one of its wings."
Now it was more serious than Dawson thought. If only Mrs. Meadows didn't threaten the eagle they wouldn't be in this danger, nor for her to run away from her family. They could be killed out here.
"It can only walk now. But I will go in the car."
Before she did, Katherine kicked the egg and let it roll to the cliff. It stood on the cliff's edge.
"No, madam!" Dawson gasped. Him and Basil quickly ran to the egg but before they could reach, the egg tipped over and fell down the cliff. "Oh no!"
"Follow me Dawson," Basil said to him. "I've got an idea."
The two of them didn't go to the car but to the tree; Dawson didn't know why Basil chose the place.
"Now listen," said Basil now that they're out of the rain. "With Katherine and Grace in the car, we'll bait them for the eagle and distract it from them. Hopefully it will follow the cliffs and find its egg. Animal parents will protect their infants defensively. We need to protect the Meadows' from the bird. Once the eagle arrives, we'll start. I still have the matches. We'll use them to call the bird to us."
"This sounds very risky Basil," said Dawson but he at least obeyed.
Not that far from them, Dawson saw a mouse dressed in red. He was hiding close to the car in a bush that Dawson recognized Albert Meadows.
"What is he doing?" Dawson wondered, pointing out to Albert.
"He was stalking us," Basil informed him. "Hopefully he won't ruin our plan."
They stood there in the tree waiting for anything to happen but nothing did. Katherine and Grace were inside the car and the squirrel was close by them. In the car, Grace was moving around after telling Katherine something, which Dawson guessed was about their father. He saw Katherine roll her eyes yet shudder; glad to know that they can't see Albert behind them. He's inside the bush keeping his eyes on the two mice as the squirrel was rummaging through the grass searching for nuts.
"Should we go now?" Dawson asked.
"No, not yet," said Basil. "Not until we have the correct opportunity. We are in her territory."
The eagle hasn't shown up yet. What Basil was waiting for, Dawson didn't know, but he did know that Katherine and Grace need his help.
"Why don't we go now?" Dawson asked. "We have time to get her now with the bird gone."
"But it will arrive soon enough."
Basil had his eyes open the entire time, without blinking, that he stared at the car. One look at him, Dawson knew that Basil is planning his strategy. He looked back out to the squirrel which was now gone.
"Where's the squirrel?" Dawson asked.
A squirrel tail fell from the sky landing close to them. Basil and Dawson gasped at the sight that Dawson backed away. Looking up, to a branch that was high above them was the golden eagle looking back to them.
"Oh my Goodness!" Dawson gasped. He backed further away from the opening of the tree not daring to go out.
"Now's not the time to dawdle Dawson," said Basil. "We must get to Katherine."
"But the eagle is out there!"
"We'll wait. Until it's out of our sight."
But the eagle stayed where it is. A few branches were starting to fall, at least small ones, that the bird plucked it away and she flew limply to the ground. Looking around, the eagle gave out a loud squawk.
"Boy, I hate being right all the time," Basil joked. He realized that the eagle is a mother looking for her egg.
Then another squawk. Without flying, the bird walked around searching for food. Also, the shakes continued but due to the bird walking. Now Basil and Dawson had their answer for the mysterious quakes.
Over by Katherine, Basil and Dawson heard Grace scrambling around trying to find her way out but she came to the side of the car and gasped loudly. The bird heard her that Basil whispered, "Be quiet Grace. Be quiet."
Grace stopped screaming once the eagle came close to her and her mother. The eagle looked down to the two who froze staring at the bird in horror. The eagle sniffed the car that it saw Katherine and Grace under the canopy. Basil and Dawson could tell they're terrified by their frightened looks. They didn't move at first staring at the bird, which gave out a louder squawk, making Katherine, Grace, and Dawson cover their ears; not Basil. The squawk was loud enough to reverberate the tree and car, even at times the ground as it seemed to Dawson. Dawson just stayed still including Basil as they watched the bird.
"Mommy, what do we do?" Grace asked, fidgeting around on the seat. "What do we do? What do we do?"
"Be quiet, Grace. Do you want the bird to…"
They looked up after the eagle gave a light chirrup. The eagle stared them down, crashed her head through the canopy reaching down to catch the two. Both mother and daughter screamed in horror.
"AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"
The two leaned on the chair and held the canopy above them, holding it up putting it between them and the eagle. The eagle's beak touched the canopy not being able to reach them.
"AAAAAAAHHHHHHH! AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"
It kept trying to get them by squawking again, more like it was angry not being able to catch Katherine. Still Basil and Dawson watched, not moving a muscle but Dawson was starting to get worried. The two are still in the car fighting for their lives. He can feel their fear as the eagle bobbed her head out of the car and started to turn it over with her head. With Katherine and Grace inside, they moved along with the car that Dawson saw inside the two were underneath. The eagle stood upon the car that clawed she with her feet and bit down to break it, including a tire thinking the car is real. Katherine and Grace kept screaming inside not looking at anything as they had their eyes closed. Dawson has to do something. It was Basil who started to search through his pockets until he took out a match.
"Dawson, take one," said Basil. "We're going now. You go first. Then I'll come after you."
"What?"
"Light the match and distract the eagle to me. Then you get to the two and help them out. Now!"
Dawson, taking Basil's advice and full trust, ran out of the tree and called out to the eagle while flaring the lit match, "Hey!"
The eagle squawked and looked over to Dawson. What does he do now? The eagle is going to eat him! Thinking fast, Dawson swayed the match around noticing the eagle had her eyes upon the fire. He saw Basil come out from his left that Dawson threw the match over to him. Basil had his match out distracting the bird.
"Hey, hey!" Basil shouted to the bird while swaying the match.
"Basil!" Dawson shouted.
The eagle squawked again and Basil yelled to Dawson, "Go get them!"
"Basil!" Dawson shouted again.
"Go get them!"
He started to run as he held the match and then threw it but that didn't help at all. Basil started to run as the eagle came for him. He ran to a bush where Albert was hiding; Taking the opportunity, Dawson ran over to Katherine as he arrived at the broken car. He didn't see it but the eagle bit down to Basil. Basil, in order to protect himself, jumped onto the eagle's beak but that only had him bit on the leg. The eagle let him go that Basil went flying as the bird squawked again while whamming into the bush. Basil landed on his back underneath a pile of leaves, groaning from the landing. From the bush, Albert twitched nervously as he stared up to the eagle. He wasn't fast enough to run and sat on a small branch hoping the eagle doesn't see him but he rubbed his head. First looking at the mouse, the eagle reached down.
"No, no!" Albert begged. He screamed as the eagle picked him up from her mouth and swayed Albert around, killing him.
Over by Dawson, he reached down and held Katherine by her arms as she sighed happily, "Dr. Dawson."
"Can you get up?"
"Yes."
"Come on."
Dawson held her up that at first, she crawled out of the car and was able to stand on her feet.
"I'm stuck," Grace told him. She was stuck under the seat.
"I'll get you next," said Dawson.
As she got up, Katherine screamed, "AAAAAHHHHH!"
Dawson stood up quickly and stopped her by covering her mouth and telling her, "Don't scream. Remain quiet and don't move."
She stopped screaming now that the bird was in front of them. The eagle did see the two but they stood still, staring up at her. It was as if the bird didn't see them because Dawson saw the slight grayness in the eyes indicating that the golden eagle is blind. The eagle sniffed around not noticing the two. Instead, the eagle turned the car around with Dawson and Katherine rolling along with it to the opposite side. They were lucky that the bird didn't see them but there was another scream. It wasn't Basil, it was Grace. Dawson and Katherine couldn't save Grace on time since she was still stuck not being able to get out. The eagle hit the car one more time that Grace screamed again. Dawson and Katherine moved along with the car as it was bobbed again, that it came close to the cliff edge. The two mice held their balance as they both held onto a vine that was wrapped about a tree branch. Katherine climbed on Dawson holding tightly onto him as he held onto the vine. The car was reaching down the cliff. Katherine held tighter onto Dawson. The two of them were dangling over the cliff with Dawson gripping the vine. It was underneath the car which was starting to fall on them. He had to move and reach another vine he saw dangling.
"Mrs. Meadows, get that vine," he told her.
As Katherine held Dawson, she reached over to the vine as Dawson walked upon the wall of the cliff. She was close to getting it but didn't reach. Dawson climbed again that he told her again which she finally did. Just in time before the car could fall upon them and crash into the trees. The eagle gave another loud squawk.