ust request you to--bless my heart, there's that
Greyhen again. No, bird, I have _not_ seen your poult."

And there sure enough was the poor old Greyhen, looking sadly dowdy
when compared with her mate, the Blackcock, with half a dozen fluffy
little poults round her. She was evidently anxious, for she turned
her head so quickly this way and that to keep them all in sight that
it nearly made the Calves giddy.

"Oh, I beg your pardon, my lady," she said very humbly, and turned
round. But the Lady Tawny walked after her, and asked what was the
matter.

"Oh, my lady," said the Greyhen, "I didn't mean no harm, but do 'ee
tell me, have 'ee seen my little poult? My lady Yeld axed me so many
questions that I got fairly mazed, and I've counted my poults times
and times till I hardly know how many they be. For I'm not so young as
I was, my lady, and I've brought up many families. My first mate he
was shot, if you mind, my lady; butiful bird he was too. And a pigeon
passed just now and I axed him to count, but they never have but two
eggs in their nestes, he saith, so he can't count more than two. And
the old Bucky was nigh here, and I axed he. 'Bless your life,
neighbour,' he saith, 'my Bunny has so many children that I've a given
up counting.' But it's not for me to stand talking with your ladyship;
though there's one poult missing, I'm sure of that."

"Poor soul," said the Hind very gently, "I am afraid that I have not
seen your poult. I am so sorry."

"Ah! bless your ladyship's kind heart," said the Greyhen. "You was
always--mercy on us, there 'a is. Stand over them, my lady, for
mercy's sake, stand over them?" And she crouched close to the ground
with abject terror in her eyes, while the poults, frightened to death,
hid themselves all round her.

For far above them against the glorious blue sky hung a little speck,
with quick, nervous wings that fluttered and paused, and fluttered and
paused. And it slanted down to right, and slanted back to left, as
though it had been swung by a cord from the heavens; then it fluttered
its wings and paused once more. But the Hind stood over the Greyhen
and poults, so that they should not be seen; and all the time the
Greyhen kept gasping out little broken words.

"Oh, they blue Hawks! Oh, they blue Hawks! Oh, the roog! 'Twas he that
did it--sure enough--Oh, the blue roog!"

Then the little speck made a great lunge forward, fluttered for a
moment, and passed away out of sight; and t