hawking cough

Donald Keen氏訳の人間失格, "No Longer Human" を読んでいます。

That morning I had an odd hawking cough, and every time I coughed I covered my mouth with my handkerchief. The handkerchief was spattered with blood, but it was not blood from my throat. The night before I had been picking at a pimple under my ear, and the blood was from that pimple. Realizing at once that it would be to my advantage on to reveal the truth, I lowered my eyes and sanctimoniously murmured, "Yes."

"hawking cough" とはどんな咳でしょうか？　鷹の咳は聞いたことがないし。"hawking" の項には該当するような意味は見つからないので "hawk" をよく見ると次の意味を載せている辞書がありました。

・Collins Dictionary: If someone hawks, they noisily clear mucus from their throat and spit it out.: [old-fashioned] He hawked and spat.
・Merriam-Webster: to raise by trying to clear the throat: hawk up phlegm

やはり鷹の鳴き声がこの様に聞こえるのでしょうね。