A SUMMER WITH THE RED-TAILS 35 



parent birds should fall victims to some of the 

 thirteen guns that were kept loaded behind the 

 doors of thirteen houses, nearby, in anticipa- 

 tion of an opportunity to catch Father and 

 Mother Red-tail unawares. He also wished to 

 see for himself whether the Red-tail family 

 were guilty of the crimes so freely charged to 

 them and which had led to the loading of the 

 thirteen guns and the declaration of war at the 

 thirteen nearby farmhouses. 



Father and Mother Red-tail were very dis- 

 creet and kept at a safe distance from the artil- 

 lery that only waited a favorable moment to 

 be trained upon them. They wandered far 

 afield, or could be seen soaring higher and 

 higher until they became mere specks in the 

 sky or disappeared altogether. Sometimes 

 they would be gone for a long time, while at 

 other times they would return within half an 

 hour with food for the young. At first when 

 Mother Red-tail brought the food, she would 

 alight on the side of the nest and consume 

 much time in tearing it to bits and feeding the 

 youngsters. After a little as they grew 

 stronger, she permitted them to carve the meat 

 for themselves, which they did by holding it 

 in their talons and tearing it with their beaks. 



