226 
HERON-HAWKING. 
catches. Whoo-whoo-o-p ! down they come. Down they 
all three go together, till, just before reaching the ground, 
the two old hawks let go of their prey, which falls bump. 
Before he has had time to recover himself, in a moment 
the hawks are on him, ‘ De Ruyter’ on the neck, and 
‘ Sultan’ on his body. Hurrah for the gallant hawks ! and 
loud whoops proclaim his capture. ‘ Wouldn’t take ^ioo 
for them,’ says their owner, who has ridden well, judiciously 
as well as hard, and has got up in time to save the heron’s 
life. He gives the hawks a pigeon, and puts the heron 
between his knees in a position so that he can neither 
spike him nor the hawks with his bill. He has two 
beautiful long black feathers, which are duly presented to 
Prince Alexander—alas! now no more—who is well up 
at the take. These feathers are the badge of honour 
in heron-hawking in Holland, as the fox’s brush is in 
hunting in England. The hawks are fed up as speedily as 
possible, the heron has a ring put round his leg, and is let 
loose, evidently not knowing what to make of it. 
“We hasten back as fast as we can, but the weather 
being now hot, the herons move more by night than by 
day. Many anxious eyes search the horizon for another. 
“ The two sets of falconers, with their hawks, place them¬ 
selves about half a mile apart, to intercept the herons on 
their passage back from their fishing-grounds. 
“ There is no lack of herons. The little wind there was 
has fallen to a calm, and they come home higher. All the 
