62 NEIGHBOURS UNKNOWN 



in the bird's neck, and flung his lithe length 

 over the back, where it would be out of reach 

 of the buffeting wings. 



The battle was over ; for the mink's teeth 

 were long and strong. They cut deep, straight 

 into the life ; and, undisturbed by the windy 

 flopping of the great, helpless wings, the victor 

 lay drinking the life-blood which he craved. 

 A black whirling shadow sailed over the scene, 

 but it passed a little behind the mink's tail 

 and was not noticed. It paused, seeming to 

 hover over a patch of lily leaves. A moment 

 more, and it vanished. There was a hiss ; 

 and the great duck-hawk, the same one whom 

 the heron had driven off earlier in the day, 

 dropped out of the zenith. The mink had 

 just time to raise his snarling and dripping 

 muzzle in angry surprise when the hawk's 

 talons closed upon him. One set fastened 

 upon his throat, cutting straight through 

 windpipe and jugular ; the other set gripped 

 and pierced his tender loins. The next 

 moment he was jerked from the body of his 

 prey, and carried head, legs, and tail limply 

 hanging away far over the green wastes of 

 the sedge to the great hawk's eyrie, in the 

 heart of the cedar-swamp beyond the purple 

 uplands. 



Some ten minutes later a splendid butter- 



