WILD LIFE ON THE WING 
wedge the trap on the little platform, and so 
ease the strain of balancing himself upon its 
unsteady iron keel. The man came several 
times but lolar, who had lost nothing of his 
alertness with his freedom, never allowed him 
within arm's length, and no bait would lure 
him to another trap. Each time the man 
retreated grumbling. 
Then one night it froze again. Ice formed 
solid and black on the leads, and starry frost 
crystals glistened on the slates in the moon- 
light. In the morning lolar woke to find 
himself in a bald wilderness of stone where no 
water was. He struck the hard ice in the 
gutter-pipes and flung the splinters about, but 
the water was frozen solid to the metal, and he 
had nothing to drink. 
The daws came down from the tower to pry 
at him, with saucy jibes, and shuffled galliards 
upon the gable tops. They brought gleanings 
from the middens round about, and when they 
had eaten all they would, they threw the pieces 
over the roof, and had diving races after them, 
lolar watched them hungrily. Now and again 
he would have shuffled forward to snap a bone 
or some such garbage, but always before he 
could do so one of the rabble swooped down 
jeering and bore it off to the tower top before 
his eyes. 
66 
