COURTS OF JUSTICE 151 



His flight was uncertain as though the sunlight 

 staggered him, and he tried to make for the woods 

 which topped a nearby hill. But out of the sky, 

 and as from nowhere, up from the ploughed ground 

 and the river edge, his enemies, whom no one could 

 have dreamed were present, came in twos and threes 

 and sixes and sevens and finally in a flock to strike 

 him down. 



They were crows, vigilant and terrible creatures, 

 and they were bent upon the destruction of the out- 

 law in their midst. The naturalist saw and heard 

 the combat, which lasted only a few moments, and 

 he arrived on the scene after a wild run down hill 

 and across the fields. After a few fruitless at- 

 tempts at dodging, the owl struggled fiercely with 

 his foes, but he was doomed. Soon he fell to earth, 

 where the naturalist found him, a bleeding and life- 

 less body. The great bird was nearly headless, the 

 broad white breast had been torn entirely open, and 

 his beautiful plumes bathed in his life's blood. 



Whether the crows would have carried their re- 

 venge further on the body if not frightened away, 

 is a question. But they had not required two min- 

 utes to destroy utterly their resplendent enemy. If 

 any of their number was injured or killed in the 

 course of that battle in the air, none was left on the 

 field with the owl. The majestic culprit of a hun- 



