16 The Wine-Dark Sea - Libro della tutto

Patrick O'Brian The Wine-Dark Sea
his prey – they seem to watch him as he travels
– and wait until he is gorged. Then he
creeps off into shelter and they come down;
but he cannot bear seeing them at it – he
rushes out – they rise – he eats a little more –
retires – and they return. There. He is going
off already.'
'Our vultures are more circumspect,' said
Stephen. 'They will wait for hours, whereas
these are in directly. Lord, how they eat! I
should not have missed this for the world.
Thank you, my dear Eduardo, for showing me
the puma, that noble beast.'
Riding back they discussed the whole event in
minute detail – the exact angle and splay of
the condors' primaries as they settled on a
crag, the movement of their tails, the dissatisfied
look on the puma's face when it came
back for the third time to nothing but a heap
of the larger bones. Having talked themselves