A Fisherman Robbed 



gracefully high up in the blue, blue sky over the 

 Big River. Suddenly the stranger paused in his 

 flight and for a moment appeared to remain in 

 one place, his great wings beating rapidly to hold 

 him there. Then those wings were closed and 

 with a rush he shot down straight for the water, 

 disappearing with a great splash. Instantly Peter 

 sat up to his full height that he might see better. 



"It's Plunger the Osprey fishing, and I've 

 nothing to fear from him," he cried happily. 



Out of the water, his great wings flapping, rose 

 Plunger. Peter looked eagerly to see if he had 

 caught a fish, but there was nothing in Plunger's 

 great, curved claws. Either that fish had been 

 too deep or had seen Plunger and darted away 

 just in the nick of time. Peter had a splendid 

 view of Plunger. He was just a little bigger than 

 Redtail the Hawk. Above he was dark brown, 

 his head and neck marked with white. His tail 

 was grayish, crossed by several narrow dark bands 

 and tipped with white. His under parts were 

 white with some light brown spots on his breast. 

 Peter could see clearly the great, curved claws 

 which are Plunger's fishhooks. 



Up, up, up he rose, going round and round in a 



spiral. When he was well up in the blue, blue 



sky, he began to sail again in wide circles as 



when Peter had first seen him. It wasn't long 



[145] 



