ir Nicholas thirty years before when things had been more prosperous; it
was less embarrassing so; but they would have a lad to carry the "cadge,"
and a pony following them to carry the game. They added to the excitement
of the sport by making it a competition between their birds; and flying
them one after another, or sometimes at the same quarry, as in coursing;
but this often led to the birds' crabbing.

Anthony's peregrine Eliza was almost unapproachable; and the lad was the
more proud of her as he had "made" her himself, as an "eyess" or young
falcon captured as a nestling. But, on the other hand, Hubert's goshawk
Margaret, a fiery little creature, named inappropriately enough after his
tranquil aunt, as a rule did better than Anthony's Isabel, and brought
the scores level again.

There was one superb day that survived long in Anthony's memory and
conversation; when he had done exceptionally well, when Eliza had
surpassed herself, and even Isabel had acquitted herself with credit. It
was one of those glorious days of wind and sun that occasionally fall in
early October, with a pale turquoise sky overhead, and air that seems to
sparkle and intoxicate like wine. They went out together after dinner
about noon; their ponies and spaniels danced with the joy of life; Lady
Maxwell cried to them from the north terrace to be careful, and pointed
out to Mr. Norris who had dined with them what a graceful seat Hubert
had; and then added politely, but as an obvious afterthought, that
Anthony seemed to manage his pony with great address. The boys turned off
through the village, and soon got on to high ground to the west of the
village and all among the stubble and mustard, with tracts of rich sunlit
country, of meadows and russet woodland below them on every side. Then
the sport began. It seemed as if Eliza could not make a mistake. There
rose a solitary partridge forty yards away with a whirl of wings; (the
coveys were being well broken up by now) Anthony unhooded his bird and
"cast off," with the falconer's cry "Hoo-ha, ha, ha, ha," and up soared
Eliza with the tinkle of bells, on great strokes of those mighty wings,
up, up, behind the partridge that fled low down the wind for his life.
The two ponies were put to the gallop as the peregrine began to "stoop";
and then down like a plummet she fell with closed wings, "raked" the
quarry with her talons as she passed; recovered herself, and as Anthony
came up holding out the _tabur-