14 Sam Battles Bird Instincts

"If this doesn't work," he said aloud, "I'll have to feed the little eyas. That will change her whole life. "I also might be jailed for harboring an endangered species." IN WHICH Sam Battles Bird Instincts Frightful had completely panicked when Sam reached under her in the thunderous storm. She flew into the drenching rain and gained altitude, ready to strike him with all the force of her speeding body. A powerful gust of wind caught her wings and swept her upriver. Its downdraft pulled her toward the water. She fought wind and rain to get back to the bridge, but the storm was the master. She gave up and dropped into a calm eddy of air behind a bank of willows.

"Creee, creee, creee," she called from a dead stub. Lightning burned streaks in the sky, and thunder cannonaded. "Creee," she called once more, then pulled her head down between her shoulders and let the rain run off her body. Through the storm she listened for 426. She had last seen him swooping down on the man in the cherry picker. "Creee." There was no answer from 426. She waited in the willow tree until her fear subsided. It was short-lived. In moments she was quietly listening to the rain slap the leaves around her. After a long time, the deluge stopped. In less than two seconds, Frightful was back on the horizontal girder of the bridge. She walked to the wet scrape, turning under her talons so as not to injure the young. "Creee," she called. No eyas answered, nor did 426.

At recess Molly and Jose came splashing through big puddles to the bridge. They stood before it, looking up at the webs and the graceful bow. "The bridge has changed," Molly said. "It's dead." "Yeah," said Jose. "No peregrines. Not even a coat of red paint can make it fun again." The two walked along the bank and watched frogs jump into the river until the bell rang at the end of recess. They started back. Leon Longbridge pulled up beside them. "Listen to this," he said, waving a paper. "It's from the governor." "Read it. Read it, please," said Jose. "It's addressed to me and the students of Delhi Middle School." He began: Thank you for your many well- written letters concerning the peregrines of Delhi Bridge. I am pleased to inform you that I share your concern. Work will stop on the bridge on Route 28 until the young peregrine falcons are fledged.

Although the bridge repair is urgent, our endangered species, once gone, cannot be brought back- Therefore I have told the head of the Transportation Department of the State of New York to work on Bridge 92 at Gilboa until the little family is on wing. My administration actively protects the environment of New York State, and I am happy you are in favor of this policy. Sincerely, Governor George Marki "Too late," Molly whispered, tears in her eyes. "For lack of understanding," Leon Longbridge said, "we've lost three beautiful eyases." "Can I read the letter?" Molly asked. "I've made you a copy," Leon said, handing her a paper. "And one for you, Jose." After rereading the letter three times, Jose folded it and put it in his pocket.

"We've got to catch the poachers," he said. "We've got to get the babies back." He turned hopelessly to Leon Longbridge. "How can we do that?" "The state troopers are looking for them right now," Leon said, "and the Department of Motor Vehicles is checking the ownership of all the Chevy pickups. So far nothing." Molly put the letter in her book and, without another word, walked back to school. Jose walked silently behind her. Frightful stared into her empty scrape. Restless and upset, she flew to the park, caught a pigeon, and carried it to the cupola of the courthouse. She ate and watched for 426. When she was comfortably full, she carried the remains back to the scrape and tore off an eyas bite. There were no open beaks to fill. She peered at the girder, waiting for the little falcons to thrust up their heads. They did not. She swallowed the food. Frightful did not leave the aerie. Her mothering instincts were strong. She still felt the presence of her chicks. But as the hours passed and her eyases

did not appear, the feeling began to fade. Without her young to inspire her, it would not take many days for the nurturing instinct to die. In the early afternoon, Frightful left the bridge and flew over the town, the river, the mountains, in wider and wider circles. Eventually she flew over 426, perched on the one hemlock on the one mountain. In seconds she was beside him. A movement below caught her eye. She tipped her head. Sam had stepped out of the tree. "Creee, creee, creee, car-reet," she called. "Frightful!" he cried joyfully. "Where are you? I hear you." He whistled and stepped back. "Oh, Frightful," he said when he saw her. "I have your little eyas. She's right here. Follow me." Sam put Oksi into his soft backpack, shouldered it, and started climbing. 426 cried out the peregrine alarm and sped off. Frightful stayed. When Sam reached the nest box, she was only ten feet above him. He held up the eyas. "Here she is. You must feed her. She's hungry."