ON THE UPPER ST. JOHN'S. 143 



too, shaped like a narrow wedge, was uncon- 

 scionably long; and as the bird showed 

 against the sky, I could think of nothing 

 but an animated sign of addition. A bet- 

 ter man the Emperor Constantino, shall 

 we say? might have seen in it a nobler 

 symbol. 



While we were loitering down the river, 

 later in the afternoon, an eagle made its ap- 

 pearance far overhead, the first one of the 

 day. The boy, for some reason, refused to 

 believe that it was an eagle. Nothing but a 

 sight of its white head and tail through the 

 glass could convince him. (The perfectly 

 square set of the wings as the bird sails is a 

 pretty strong mark, at no matter what dis- 

 tance.) Presently an osprey, not far from 

 us, with a fish in his claws, set up a violent 

 screaming. " It is because he has caught a 

 fish," said the boy ; " he is calling his mate." 

 " No," said I, " it is because the eagle is 

 after him. Wait a bit." In fact, the eagle 

 was already in pursuit, and the hawk, as he 

 always does, had begun struggling upward 

 with all his might. That is the fish-hawk's 

 way of appealing to Heaven against his op- 

 pressor. He was safe for that time. Three 



