WILD LIFE ON THE WING 
of hunger seized him all at once. The rocks, 
the snow and the heather seemed to swim and 
heave together ; he huddled down with half- 
closed eyes while shuddering spasms racked 
him. 
***** 
A tentative croak close at hand aroused him. 
One of his two mutinous followers was eyeing 
him intently. He tried to give his usual call 
note, but his throat was constricted, and as he 
launched himself into the air, his wings were 
so stiff and powerless that he parachuted awk- 
wardly on to the rock below. There was a rustle 
of wings, and the second rebel alighted near by 
attracted like his fellow by their leader's 
great voice as he called up his other unfor- 
tunate followers from their fatal repast. Glanc- 
ing mistrustfully at Fionog-liat, they began to 
search for fragments of meat, but nothing re- 
mained but a few bones and pieces of skin. 
However, one of them presently spied a small 
portion of the entrail which had been tossed 
unobserved under a rock, and he began to sidle 
up to it with cunning furtive looks. What 
then impelled the leader to act as he did, I 
cannot say. James Driscoll, who laid the bait 
and who told me the story, said : " Begor', me 
gran'lad stood over the mate what way the 
rest o' the craythers wouldn't get a bite at all, 
130 
