THE OUTLAW 129 



The keeper picked up the wild one, 

 never more to swoop on " longtail " or 

 " bird," never more to descend upon 

 terrorised tame pigeon in Barnstaple or the 

 great Dome of London. The proud eyes 

 misted, the noble head fell back the keeper 

 was surprised to feel how light the bird 

 was ; and while he was weighing it in his 



hand the outlaw died. 







But perhaps the most extraordinary 

 thing about this falcon-raid was that nearly 

 every journalist in London saw the bird; but 

 I saw it first, therefore it is mine. 



