HOW I BECAME A FALCONER. 65 
as she rolled helplessly with the movement of the vessel from one 
end to another: there was hardly a teaspoonful left at last. The 
bird would not look at the lure, graced though it was with beef- 
steak, even at the distance of a few yards. I did, therefore, what is 
the only thing to do in suchacase. I fastened another peregrine 
to the ground within easy sight of the truant, gave him a lure 
(fastened also), and, close to, pegged down some beef under a bow- 
net. The stray bird nodded his head, opened his wings, shut them, 
opened them again, and flew’ down to the peregrine which was 
eating from the lure. From that lure he was driven, as I knew he 
would be, by the feeding bird; he shifted easily to the meat under 
the net, and I had him in an instant. The peregrine which I tied 
down to do the dirty work of a decoy bird was the black tiercel I 
disliked ; the black tiercel was afterwards “ Black Cloud,” and Black 
Cloud was one of the best peregrines I ever had in my life. He was 
killed in Somersetshire, partridge hawking, by a man who threw a 
stick at him, not knowing, I believe, that he was a trained bird ; 
but I had the feeling of injustice so strong upon me at the time 
that I am afraid I told the keeper, should the opportunity ever 
present itself, to take particular pains with that man’s ribs. 
I remember well the first time I began to suspect that Black Cloud 
was a treasure. It was a windy day, and he was flying at hack with 
the rest; they were playing together. And a beautiful sight it is to 
see the hawks play. Even on the ground they are amusing, catching 
pieces of stick and dropping them—in short, behaving not unlike 
kittens. But, on the wing, they dash about, and make stoops at 
each other, which are most adroitly avoided. All this, of course, is 
Nature’s teaching for something more serious presently. Black 
Cloud shot up the highest of all, and came down the fastest; he 
moved about like a swallow. I came in perfectly delighted, and said 
that he would be the bird ; and so he was. His pitch was excellent, 
his speed wonderful; but he was then a wild bird, I only gave 
F 
