Now that， like a newly trained diver， he had overcome his fear of plunging into the air， Gay-Neck ventured on longer and higher flights. In a week’s time he was able to fly steadily for half an hour，
Now that， like a newly trained diver， he had overcome his fear of plunging into the air， Gay-Neck ventured on longer and higher flights. In a week’s time he was able to fly steadily for half an hour， and when he came home to the roof， he swooped down as gracefully as his parents. There was no more of that panicky beating of wings in order to balance himself as his feet touched the roof.
His parents， who had accompanied Gay-Neck in his preliminary flights， now began to leave him behind， and to fly much higher above him. For a while I thought that they were trying to make him fly still higher； for the son always made an effort to reach the level of his parents. Perhaps his elders were setting the little fellow a superb example. But at last， one day early in June， that explanation of mine was shaken by the following fateful incident. Gay-Neck was flying high： he looked half his usual size. Above him flew his parents， almost as small as a man’s fist. They were circling above him with the regularity of a merry-go-round. I removed my gaze from them； after all， it is not comfortable to look steadily upwards for long. As I lowered my eyes towards the horizon， they were held by a black spot moving swiftly， and growing larger every second. I wondered what sort of bird he was， coming at such a speed in a straight line， for in India birds are named in Sanskrit， Turyak， or “curve-tracers.”
But this one was coming straight， like an arrow. In another two minutes my doubts were dispelled. It was a hawk making for little GayNeck. I looked up and beheld a miraculous sight. His father was tumbling steadily down in order to reach his level， while his mother， bent on the same purpose， was making swift downward curves. Ere the terrible hawk had come within ten yards of the innocent little fellow， both his flanks were covered.1 Now the three flew downwards at a right angle from the path of their enemy. Undeterred by such a move， the hawk charged.2 At once the three pigeons made a dip that frustrated him， but the force with which he had made the attack was so great that it carried him a long distance beyond them. The pigeons kept on circling in the air with an ever-increasing downward trend. In another minute they were halfway to our roof. Now the hawk changed his mind. He went higher and higher into the sky： in fact， he flew so high that the pigeons could not hear the wind whistling in the feathers of his wings； and as he was above them they could not see their foe. Feeling that they were safe， they relaxed. It was evident that they were not flying so fast as before. Just then I saw that above them， way up， the hawk was folding his wings： he was about to drop， and in an instant he fell upon them like a stone. In desperation I put my fingers in my mouth and made a shrill whistle， a cry of warning. The pigeons dived like a falling sword， yet the hawk followed. Inch by inch， moment by moment he was gaining on them. Faster and faster he fell： now there were scarcely twenty feet between him and his prey. There was no doubt that he was aiming at Gay-Neck. I could see his sinister claws.“Won’t those stupid pigeons do anything to save themselves？” I thought in an agony. He was so near him now—if they would only keep their heads， and—Just then they made a vast upward circle. The hawk followed. Then they flew on an even but large elliptical3 path. If a bird flies in a circle， he either tends to swing to the centre of that circle or away from it. Now the hawk missed their intention， and tended towards the centre， making a small circle inside their big one. No sooner was his back turned to them than the three pigeons made another dive， almost to our roof， but the sinister one was not to be deterred. He followed like a tongue of black lightning. His prey made a curving dive onto the roof， where they were safe at last under my wide-spread arms！ That instant I heard the shriek of the wind in the air； about a foot above my head the hawk flew by， his eyes blazing with yellow fire and his claws quivering like the tongue of a viper. As he passed I could hear the wind still whistling in his feathers.
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