7176-88083-0000 ALL ABOUT HIM WAS A TUMULT OF BRIGHT AND BROKEN COLOR SCATTERED IN BROAD SPLASHES
7176-88083-0001 THE MERGANSER HAD A CRESTED HEAD OF IRIDESCENT GREEN BLACK A BROAD COLLAR OF LUSTROUS WHITE BLACK BACK BLACK AND WHITE WINGS WHITE BELLY SIDES FINELY PENCILLED IN BLACK AND WHITE AND A BREAST OF RICH CHESTNUT RED STREAKED WITH BLACK
7176-88083-0002 HIS FEET WERE RED HIS LONG NARROW BEAK WITH ITS SAW TOOTHED EDGES AND SHARP HOOKED TIP WAS BRIGHT RED
7176-88083-0003 BUT HERE HE WAS AT A TERRIBLE DISADVANTAGE AS COMPARED WITH THE OWLS HAWKS AND EAGLES HE HAD NO RENDING CLAWS
7176-88083-0004 BUT SUDDENLY STRAIGHT AND SWIFT AS A DIVING CORMORANT HE SHOT DOWN INTO THE TORRENT AND DISAPPEARED BENEATH THE SURFACE
7176-88083-0005 ONCE FAIRLY A WING HOWEVER HE WHEELED AND MADE BACK HURRIEDLY FOR HIS PERCH
7176-88083-0006 IT MIGHT HAVE SEEMED THAT A TROUT OF THIS SIZE WAS A FAIRLY SUBSTANTIAL MEAL
7176-88083-0007 BUT SUCH WAS HIS KEENNESS THAT EVEN WHILE THE WIDE FLUKES OF HIS ENGORGED VICTIM WERE STILL STICKING OUT AT THE CORNERS OF HIS BEAK HIS FIERCE RED EYES WERE ONCE MORE PEERING DOWNWARD INTO THE TORRENT IN SEARCH OF FRESH PREY
7176-88083-0008 IN DESPAIR HE HURLED HIMSELF DOWNWARD TOO SOON
7176-88083-0009 THE GREAT HAWK FOLLOWED HURRIEDLY TO RETRIEVE HIS PREY FROM THE GROUND
7176-88083-0010 THE CAT GROWLED SOFTLY PICKED UP THE PRIZE IN HER JAWS AND TROTTED INTO THE BUSHES TO DEVOUR IT
7176-88083-0011 IN FACT HE HAD JUST FINISHED IT THE LAST OF THE TROUT'S TAIL HAD JUST VANISHED WITH A SPASM DOWN HIS STRAINED GULLET WHEN THE BAFFLED HAWK CAUGHT SIGHT OF HIM AND SWOOPED
7176-88083-0012 THE HAWK ALIGHTED ON THE DEAD BRANCH AND SAT UPRIGHT MOTIONLESS AS IF SURPRISED
7176-88083-0013 LIKE HIS UNFORTUNATE LITTLE COUSIN THE TEAL HE TOO HAD FELT THE FEAR OF DEATH SMITTEN INTO HIS HEART AND WAS HEADING DESPERATELY FOR THE REFUGE OF SOME DARK OVERHANGING BANK DEEP FRINGED WITH WEEDS WHERE THE DREADFUL EYE OF THE HAWK SHOULD NOT DISCERN HIM
7176-88083-0014 THE HAWK SAT UPON THE BRANCH AND WATCHED HIS QUARRY SWIMMING BENEATH THE SURFACE
7176-88083-0015 ALMOST INSTANTLY HE WAS FORCED TO THE TOP
7176-88083-0016 STRAIGHTWAY THE HAWK GLIDED FROM HIS PERCH AND DARTED AFTER HIM
7176-88083-0017 BUT AT THIS POINT IN THE RAPIDS IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE FOR HIM TO STAY DOWN
7176-88083-0018 BUT THIS FREQUENTER OF THE HEIGHTS OF AIR FOR ALL HIS SAVAGE VALOR WAS TROUBLED AT THE LEAPING WAVES AND THE TOSSING FOAM OF THESE MAD RAPIDS HE DID NOT UNDERSTAND THEM
7176-88083-0019 AS HE FLEW HIS DOWN REACHING CLUTCHING TALONS WERE NOT HALF A YARD ABOVE THE FUGITIVE'S HEAD
7176-88083-0020 WHERE THE WAVES FOR AN INSTANT SANK THEY CAME CLOSER BUT NOT QUITE WITHIN GRASPING REACH
7176-88083-0021 BUT AS BEFORE THE LEAPING WAVES OF THE RAPIDS WERE TOO MUCH FOR HIS PURSUER AND HE WAS ABLE TO FLAP HIS WAY ONWARD IN A CLOUD OF FOAM WHILE DOOM HUNG LOW ABOVE HIS HEAD YET HESITATED TO STRIKE
7176-88083-0022 THE HAWK EMBITTERED BY THE LOSS OF HIS FIRST QUARRY HAD BECOME AS DOGGED IN PURSUIT AS A WEASEL NOT TO BE SHAKEN OFF OR EVADED OR DECEIVED
7176-88083-0023 HE HAD A LOT OF LINE OUT AND THE PLACE WAS NONE TOO FREE FOR A LONG CAST BUT HE WAS IMPATIENT TO DROP HIS FLIES AGAIN ON THE SPOT WHERE THE BIG FISH WAS FEEDING
7176-88083-0024 THE LAST DROP FLY AS LUCK WOULD HAVE IT CAUGHT JUST IN THE CORNER OF THE HAWK'S ANGRILY OPEN BEAK HOOKING ITSELF FIRMLY
7176-88083-0025 AT THE SUDDEN SHARP STING OF IT THE GREAT BIRD TURNED HIS HEAD AND NOTICED FOR THE FIRST TIME THE FISHERMAN STANDING ON THE BANK
7176-88083-0026 THE DRAG UPON HIS BEAK AND THE LIGHT CHECK UPON HIS WINGS WERE INEXPLICABLE TO HIM AND APPALLING
7176-88083-0027 THEN THE LEADER PARTED FROM THE LINE
