1 88 The Grouse Family 



colonel, and we saw the white dog fixed and 

 the red fellow drawing to him. 



" H 1 ! " said M 's friend under his breath. 



" Your shot, suh ! " said the colonel, bowing to 

 me, and again an eyelid quivered. 



As I neared the dogs I wondered, for it was 

 not a likely spot for chickens. The explanation 

 was sudden. " Birr-birr-birr ! " Not chickens, but 

 thirty-odd quail stormed up out of the grass, and 

 in an instant I was at home. To a man trained 

 in the hottest corner of western Ontario, where 

 the timber is heavy, this cover seemed but a 

 trifle, and I felt like Wellington did when he 

 heard Bliicher's guns. A brace of birds fell, were 

 retrieved, and the dogs ordered on. 



" I say, Colonel," remarked M 's friend, 



crisply, " let's get out of this wretched stuff, the 

 match is at chickens, you know ! " 



The colonel stopped the team, turned about 

 slowly, looked steadily at each of us in turn, and 

 gravely asked, " The match — is — at — what 

 — suh } " 



" At chickens ; that is, as / understand it," 

 replied M 's friend, somewhat confusedly. 



" Mr. M , did you so understand it } " asked 



the colonel, very slowly. 



"I — well — no-o-o ! But this is miserable 



ground. I'm sure Mr. S don't fancy it. 



Like to see him have a clean, fair chance, you 



