Book-bot.com - read famous books online for free

Bracebridge Hall by Washington Irving
page 131 of 173 (75%)
were present, and had been afraid to take the field themselves, looked
upon this as a perfect triumph, and winked at each other when the
radical's back was turned. "Ay, ay!" said mine host, as soon as the
radical was out of hearing, "let old Jack alone; I'll warrant he'll give
him his own!"

[Illustration: The Antagonists]




[Illustration: The Rookery]

THE ROOKERY.

But cawing rooks, and kites that swim sublime
In still repeated circles, screaming loud,
The jay, the pie, and e'en the boding owl,
That hails the rising moon, have charms for me.

COWPER.

In a grove of tall oaks and beeches, that crowns a terrace walk, just on
the skirts of the garden, is an ancient rookery, which is one of the
most important provinces in the squire's rural domains. The old
gentleman sets great store by his rooks, and will not suffer one of them
to be killed, in consequence of which they have increased amazingly; the
tree tops are loaded with their nests; they have encroached upon the
great avenue, and have even established, in times long past, a colony
among the elms and pines of the churchyard, which, like other distant
DigitalOcean Referral Badge