50 FOUR-FOOTED AMERICANS 



After they had jogged along a fairl}^ level road for 

 a couple of hours, tlie children asking questions and 

 begging to get out at intervals, to pick up some par- 

 ticularly nice apple that had fallen outside a fence and 

 been passed by in the general harvest, they turned into 

 a lane road with turf between the wheel tracks. The 

 ground now began to rise hi a zig-zag fashion between 

 a wall of hemlock and pine trees, under which were 

 mats of ground pine, partridge berry, and Avintergreen. 



AVhirr-whirr, and a pair of large brownish birds flew 

 up from the roadside and disappeared in some bushes. 



" AVhat were those birds as big as chickens ? " 

 screamed Dodo. '-' Oh, Avliy didn't some one catch 

 them ? They Avent right by your nose, Olive ! " 



*' I think partly because I was as much surprised as 

 they Avere," laughed Olive. 



" As tine a pair of Ruffed Grouse as one could Avish 

 for dinner," said Mr. Blake. 



" Ah, papa, you Avouldn't eat them ? " Availed Dodo. 



'' Why not, girlie ? Tliey are game birds made for 

 food ; their nesting is OA^er, and this is the season that 

 the AVise ^Iqw say Ave may take thean by fair hunting." 



" What is fair hunting ? I don't think any hunting 

 is fair." 



"Using no trap or snare, but following the game 

 afoot, if it be birds Avith gun and dog, killing no more 

 than you need. If it is a Deer, Elk, Moose, or Ante- 

 lope, using your OAvn perseverance and rifle Avithout a 

 dog, and never taking a doe or fawn unless absolute 

 starvation stares you in the face." 



" But if you are trying to kill nuisance animals ? " 

 asked Rap. 



