The fresh remembrance of the peril he had passed through in obtaining it, no doubt stimulated him to this resolve.
Birds of his species will sometimes outfly and escape the eagle--that is, _some_ eagles, for these bird-kings differ in degrees of swiftness as hounds or horses.

So, too, do the kites; and the one in question having, no doubt, full confidence in _his_ wings, thought he would make trial of those of his pursuer--who, being personally unknown to him, might be some individual too fat, or too old, or too young, perhaps, to possess full powers of flight.

At all events he had made up his mind to have a "fly" for it--believing that if overtaken he could easily put an end to the pursuit by surrendering the snake, as his cousin, the osprey, often has to do with his fish.

Up, therefore, he went, in a spiral curve of about fifty yards in diameter.
If the kite entertained the idea that his pursuer was either a very old or young bird, or too fat a bird, or in any way a "slow" bird, he was likely to be soon undeceived.

That idea was not shared by those who watched him in his flight.