female grouse will at times make upon the man who stumbles upon her brood in 

 the heart of the woods. It has fallen to the lot of but few to witness the exhibi- 

 tion that this wild bird gives of mother-love and courage. It was my fortune 

 once to have an experience with a mother grouse who was caring for a brood of 

 ten or twelve downy young in the depths of a ravine on the government reser- 

 vation at Fort Sheridan. There are not many ruffed grouse left in the country 

 along the lake. The birds have been shot by market hunters and others until the 

 hearing of a log drumming in the spring is an ornithological epoch. I had been 

 at target practice on the Fort Sheridan rifle range, and was on my way from the 

 firing point to relieve a man behind the butts. To reach the objective point I 

 was forced to go through dense underbrush to the bothom of a deep ravine. I 

 was just about to jump the little brook which flows at the base of the shelving 

 ravine bank when I heard a clucking and hissing noise. Before time was given 

 to me to realize what living thing was present, there was a rushing sound, fol- 

 lowed by the impact of a heavy body against my knee. It was a case for a 

 minute of both mental and physical stagger. Recovering enough to look down, 

 I saw two feet in front of me a hen grouse bridling, and with her feathers 

 ruffled up until she looked as big as a bufif-cochin. At the same time I became 

 dimly aware that some little creatures, not much bigger tliaii bumblebees, were 

 scurrying for cover. In a second Dame Grouse returned to the attack. She made 

 the onslaught like a game-cock. My knee was the objective point, and this she 

 buffeted with her body and struck with her beak. I had a Springfield rifle in 

 my hand, but of neither rifle nor man was that valiant mother afraid. Had she 

 but known, it was admiration rather than resentment that was exicted by her 

 attack. She prepared herself apparently for another assault, and then suddenly 

 changing her mind, she went whirring away through the clustering trees. She 

 had held the attention of the intruder until her little ones had time to secrete 

 themselves under the fallen leaves. I hardly dared stir for fear of treading on 

 one of the innocents. I picked my way carefully, and when I reached a point 

 half-way up the ravine's side, I heard the mother grouse calling her chicks to the 

 shelter of her ample wings. 



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