36 The Ruffed Grouse 



cally draw herself in rigidly if he happened to wander near to her 

 abode. In the distance a homed owl hooted, and occasionally she 

 would spy a fox sneaking stealthily along the lumber road. But she 

 knew she was fairly safe if she remained motionless. 



She had not seen another grouse since she last visited a drum- 

 ming log, and in recent days tlie reassuring drumming of the cock 

 birds had almost ceased. While feeling quite alone, she became more 

 and more anxious for the fateful time when she could leave the woods 

 road with her owti precious little family. As the days became weeks, 

 the dangers seemed to mount. She would often see sharp-shinned 

 hawks darting through the trees, and soaring red-tails high in the 

 sky renting the soft air with their screams. Then, what should come 

 up over the hill along the road but a team of horses with a wagon. 

 A man, queer creature she had never seen before, was on the wagon 

 and a dog ran along beside. As they approached, her nervousness 

 increased and she tightened her feathers against her body. Closer 

 and closer they approached; the dog headed straight for the place 

 where she lay. When it seemed certain that the dog would step on 

 her the next instant, she rose from the nest with a terrific whir of 

 wings and flurry of leaves. Luckily— or by design— the rush of wind 

 behind her drew a flood of leaves which settled over the nest, obscur- 

 ing the eggs from view. The dog was startled, and after turning to 

 chase her a moment, wagged his tail in delight at the excitement and 

 followed his master down the road. 



The experience was terrifying to the grouse, but she was im- 

 mensely relieved upon returning a half hour later to find her nest all 

 safe. Life became routine again until suddenly, just a bit over three 

 weeks from the time she started incubating, she felt the first little 

 pecking within the eggs. This signal that hatching was only two days 

 off made her all the more anxious, and her mother love for the little 

 chicks that she could not yet see surged to new heights. But her 

 troubles were not yet over for, just as the dawTi of her twenty-third 

 day of setting broke and she was about to go off to forage for a little 

 food, she heard soft footsteps approaching. When it came into view 

 it proved to be a fox. She had seen several foxes before and so she 

 sat tight, as she always had, waiting for it to pass on. But as luck 

 would have it, his course of travel came straight toward her as he 

 wandered off the trail to look for mice, or a rabbit— or a grouse. At 

 the last moment Ijefore the animal would surely grab her she de- 



