THE PEREGRINE FALCON 
before. Now he stooped to carrion like any 
crow. 
The sparrows collected round to watch him. 
Their crops were tight with gleanings from 
the car-rank down below. One or two ventured 
so near that had he been free he could almost 
have struck them down without spreading wing. 
He hated them their plump round breasts and 
bright eyes as Ugolino in his tower must have 
hated the oxen who browsed under the wall. 
But as he dragged himself about the leads a 
great fear constantly haunted him that he might 
slip or be blown from the roof and so fall into 
man's hands in the gravelled terrace below. 
On the second evening he flew from the chancel 
gable at a bat who blundered by. He missed 
his prey, for a falcon strikes with talons and 
his feet were useless now ; but as he tried to 
regain the gutter-brim, the weight of the trap 
drew him earthwards. It was only the thought 
of the man who, for all he knew, might be 
waiting to seize him at the bottom that lent 
him strength to struggle to the roof, and after 
that he dared not stoop at winged prey again. 
At night he would drag himself to the chimney 
which, under cover of the tower, carried away 
the smoke from the church stoves ; for huddled 
between their cowls there was less danger of 
being blown away and moreover he could 
E 65 
