226 HERON-HAWKING. 



catches. Whoo-whoo-o-p ! down they come. Down they 

 all three go together, till, just before reaching the ground, 

 the two old hawks let go of their prey, which falls bump. 

 Before he has had time to recover himself, in a moment 

 the hawks are on him, ' De Ruyter' on the neck, and 

 ' Sultan' on his body. Hurrah for the gallant hawks ! and 

 loud whoops proclaim his capture. ' Wouldn't take ;ioo 

 for them/ says their owner, who has ridden well, judiciously 

 as well as hard, and has got up in time to save the heron's 

 life. He gives the hawks a pigeon, and puts the heron 

 between his knees in a position so that he can neither 

 spike him nor the hawks with his bill. He has two 

 beautiful long black feathers, which are duly presented to 

 Prince Alexander alas ! now no more who is well up 

 at the take. These feathers are the badge of honour 

 in heron-hawking in Holland, as the fox's brush is in 

 hunting in England. The hawks are fed up as speedily as 

 possible, the heron has a ring put round his leg, and is let 

 loose, evidently not knowing what to make of it. 



" We hasten back as fast as we can, but* the weather 

 being now hot, the herons move more by night than by' 

 day. Many anxious eyes search the horizon for another. 



" The two sets of falconers, with their hawks, place them- 

 selves about half a mile apart, to intercept the herons on 

 their passage back from their fishing-grounds, 



" There is no lack of herons. The little wind there was 

 has fallen to a calm, and they come home higher. All the 



