THE RUFFED GROUSE. 5^ 



and hawthorn ; and knowing the grouse range 

 low as well as high along these hills, we went 

 there. In the dense green the dogs soon dis- 

 appeared ; nothing but the light rustling of their 

 feet remained, and in a few minutes even that 

 ceased. 



Leaving my friend on the outside where he 

 would be apt to get a shot I went inside the 

 thicket. There was one dog with tail and nose 

 nearly parallel, as he had thrown himself into the 

 shape of a bow with sudden whirl, and the other 

 stood a few yards behind with the solemnity 

 of a tombstone on a winter night. Before I 

 could reach the foremost dog there was a be- 

 wildering racket of wings, and a dozen big birds 

 went darkling through the green or wheeling out 

 of the top. Quickly as I had killed the last two 

 birds — confound it ! I didn t mean to let that 

 out — well, that quickly I dropped on one knee 

 and sent a charge of shot through the leaves 

 where a fanlike tail was vanishing on a sharp 

 curve. The mainspring must have been tired 

 with the last effort, for the hammer was slow in 

 falling and the shot rather slow about reaching 

 the game. But dimly through an opening I 



