84 GAME-BIRDS AT HOME. 



grass at our feet, with feathers tightly pressed, 

 light brown heads drawn in, and beadlike eyes 

 fixed upon us, yet so closely hidden that no 

 mortal could see them though looking directly 

 down upon them. Now they might be fifty 

 yards away ; but they were somewhere near, for 

 the firm mouth of the dog and his wildly-staring 

 eye showed he was not mistaken. So on we 

 moved, with guns ready for the quickest 

 work. 



Twenty yards ahead of the dog we went when, 

 thirty yards beyond us and on no feebly-flutter- 

 ing wing, but more like the start of a rocket, a 

 big bird bounced out of the grass, and, as we 

 threw our guns to our shoulders, two more 

 grouse burst from near the same place. Flame 

 leaped at the path of the first bird, but on he 

 went at redoubled speed ; flame followed flame, 

 and the whizzing line of white plunged wabbling 

 to the grass. The nether garments of another 

 bird sent out a puff of white at the report of 

 another barrel, but the owner sped on as if the 

 lighter for their loss. A third, mounting high 

 on exultant wing and well out of ordinary range, 

 turned over at the crack of another barrel and 



