Rook-hawking 255 



appeared, every Rook within a mile gathered itself together 

 and took flight on the instant. At last on suddenly- 

 rounding a corner, we came upon a couple of silly old 

 Rooks courting, about five hundred yards away. So 

 engaged was the male in dancing round his wife and 

 displaying his plumage, that we got closer still to the birds, 

 before Frost slipped down behind the van and unhooded a 

 female Peregrine. As the latter ringed her way aloft, no 

 one could have supposed that she had any concern with 

 the Rooks, who were now beating their way in the direction 

 of the nearest wood, which was nearly a mile off. They 

 had been surprised in the open countr)', where there were 

 only a few scattered clumps of bushes. Meanwhile the 

 Hawk had attained a considerable height, and then its 

 attitude changed, and, like an arrow from a bow, it slid 

 downwards towards the pair of Rooks, which also by that 

 time had made considerable headway. Then came the 

 de'nojcement, for the faithful pair, which had hitherto held 

 together, separated when the Peregrine made its swoop. 

 As Gilbert says — 



" Love fled, and duty held its sway " 



viz. the duty of self-preservation, and as the Hawk singled 

 out one victim, the other took a cross-country route, and 

 escaped without further molestation. A harder fight 

 awaited the remaining Rook before he rejoined his mate, 

 and the pair were able to compare notes in the evening. 

 Beating along for his life, the Rook was fully exposed to 

 the swoop of the Hawk, who descended upon him like a 

 thunderbolt, only to be disappointed in her swoop, for at 

 the right moment the cunning quarry gave a swerve, and 

 the Peregrine shot by him at a terrific pace, mounting up 

 into the air again and commencing at once to " ring " into 

 the sky. Again the Peregrine made her swoop, and was 

 again foiled, while after each narrow escape the poor Rook 



