41 6 The Frigate Bird 



of them would be back again directly, and that she 

 was much more to be feared than the featherless 

 biped that was watching him. The upshot of it 

 all was that he fell off the edge of the rock, a distance 

 of about four feet, on to a small boulder. There was 

 quite a smash, for when I looked after him I saw that 

 both eggs were split, some of his claws were damaged, 

 and there was a crack across his carapace that looked 

 as if he would need a new one at once. But the tumble 

 did not seem to worry him. He was making the 

 best of the time at his disposal loading his reservoir 

 with the contents of the eggs, while I watched him, 

 laughing more heartily than I had done for a long time. 

 I know that the recital of his adventures has little 

 humour about it, but his antics were as comical as 

 those of any clown. 



■'•tm 



