THE HOODED CROW 
his side. Fionog-liat, flapping lazily against 
the wind a hundred feet away, noted with 
an experienced eye what strength and speed 
seemed to be left to the victim ; but Geirr-fiad, 
glancing up at the sinister shadow, flattened 
his ears and limped on the faster. Fionog-liat 
alighted unconcernedly on a rock, and his band 
followed his example. For many minutes the 
hillside was still and seemingly empty except 
for the labouring fugitive. Only now and then 
the hare heard one crow croak to another 
across the rocks, and knew that the keenest 
eyes from Kilcool to Knockbwee were upon 
him. Presently he laid down to pant, and 
immediately, with a rustle of wings, Fionog- 
liat alighted on a crag above him, and the rest 
of the band all clamoured jealously lest they 
should lose their share. Geirr-fiad started up 
from the reddened snow, and limped on slowly, 
and again the crows sheered off reluctantly. 
The hillside was rough and bare, littered with 
great blocks of granite, between which tufts of 
heather and blechnum fern found a precarious 
root-hold. The hare knew the place well in 
the summer-time when the grass was sweet 
and green, and no one visited it but larks 
and mountain foxes. Commergar has a broad 
bosom : his children all return to him when 
hard pressed, and he seldom fails them. 
121 
