128 THE OUTLAW 



that pointed beak ? Rolling like a ship in 

 a gale, heavily and in distress, the heron 

 turned on his back, and held his beak 

 pointed at the stooping falcon. 



The hawk swerved; swept up again; 

 regained height, wrapped his wings about 

 him and plunged. Again the beak met 

 him, once more he swerved. 



So the combat went on. Nearer the 

 keeper's cottage they drifted. Now the 

 heron was calling in distress, Kaa-ack, 

 kaa-ack. Fell the halbert-head, darted the 

 spear-beak, slipped the halbert-head. It was 

 to be a fight to the death, till one should 

 misjudge by the minutest error of time, 

 the plundering heron or the outlawed falcon. 

 The small birds hid themselves in the bushes 

 the sound of a shot rang out, the heron 

 tumbled in alarm, recovered, flapped away; 

 an eddy of gray feathers swirled in the wind, 

 the echo of the report shivered back from 

 the woods and the falcon fell on the grass, 

 its beak gaping, and panting for breath. 



