THE TABLES TURNED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20988, 26 September 1931, Page 4 (Supplement)

THE TABLES TURNED.

It was mid-afternoon, and the sun was fast slipping toward the horizon, as I stood just over the rise from the cowshed talking to Harry. It was cold enough to see one's breath. Dolly, who was glad of a spell, for she was carting a load of wood, appeared to be breathing out smoke. "Look!" exclaimed Ilarrv suddenly, " a hawk after a sparrow." I turned and looked to where ha pointed. Above the macrocarpas wai being enacted a drama, for drama it wai in its small way, which showed off the harsher side of nature. A fluttering little sparrow was endeavouring to avoid the savage rushes of its hereditary enemy, » sparrow-hawk. It brought before our eyes the eternal struggle in nature: the hawk was iuerely seeking his natural prey_; the sparrow was face to face with death. Up and down, about and across thay went, that speck of life time and again evading those clutching talons by the narrowest of margins. Grim as the death it carried in its beak and claws the sparrow-hawk continued the chase, twisting and turning with marvellous speed. For full five minutes we watched. It seemed that there could be but one ending to the scene—that the smaller bird would tire and be caught in those remorseless talons. Without warning, out of the southern sky, sailing on slow-moving pinions, came a great harrier. In an instant all was changed. The sparrow-hawk for # moment relaxed his vigilance, the sparrow disappeared into the trees, and the pursuer became the pursued. Away to the north they sned, till they became mere specks against the blue, and finally were lost to view in front of the dark busticovered hills. —By A'ymer Mountfort, Rnetihi Boai» Ohakune, age 18 years. (Original.)