hillock underwent his careful scrutiny, which convinced him that the
reptile had recently made a good meal, and would not be dangerous until
he had slept it off. Then he glanced skyward. A great hawk was
winging its way up from the southern horizon, almost invisible in the
strong, direct glare, but the Little Villager's keen eyes detected it.
He barked a warning, and the sharp signal went around from hillock to
hillock; and in half a minute all the big, babyish eyes were fixed upon
the approach of the skying marauder. Everybody chattered about it
shrilly till the hawk was straight over the village. Then suddenly the
noise was hushed. The great bird half folded its wings and swooped,
the air making a hissing hum in its rigid pinion tips. The swoop was
lightning swift, but even swifter was the disappearance of the Little
Villager, and of all his neighbors for fifty feet about him. Before
the hawk reached earth they had dropped into their burrows.

"Checking himself abruptly, the hawk flew on over the tops of the
hillocks, making unexpected zigzag rushes to right and left. But
wherever he went, there the villagers had vanished, almost as if the
wind of his approach had whisked them away. Baffled and indignant, he
at last gave up the hope of a dinner of prairie dog, and dropped on a
small rattler which was too sluggish from overeating to have noticed
that there was any particular excitement in the village. Gripping the
reptile in inexorable talons just behind its head, the great bird bit
its backbone through, carried it to the nearest hillock, and proceeded
to tear it to pieces. Calmly he made his meal, glancing around with
eyes glassy hard and fiercely arrogant, while from every burrow in the
neighborhood round, innocent heads peered forth, barking insult and
defiance. They were willing enough that the rattler should be
destroyed, but they wished the hawk to understand that his continued
presence in the villages was not desired. Of the two foes, they