THE RUFFED GROUSE 27 



domain, she next tries cunning, and will drag 

 herself along the ground for some distance just 

 in front of her eager pursuer, and only when 

 he thinks to seize the crippled and wing-broken 

 bird does she dash from the ground and whiz 

 away to the safety of the nearest thick growth. 

 Meanwhile the young birds have crept into the 

 brush, slipped under dead leaves, flattened 

 themselves upon the ground, it may be at your 

 very feet, and lie there motionless, disappearing 

 as if by magic from a spot which one second be- 

 fore was fairly alive with chirping and peeping 

 little yellowish-brown fluffy balls running in 

 every direction. Once safely hidden they re- 

 main quiet and still until the danger is past and 

 they hear again the low, mellow call of the 

 mother bird as she gathers her brood to run and 

 feed as though nothing had happened. Few are 

 the farmers ' boys who have not ' ' 'Most caught 

 a pa'tridge, only" — and in that last word is the 

 whole matter in a nut-shell — they didn't, in just 

 this way. Yet it is no matter for wonderment 

 that Master Barefoot is deceived by these 

 tricks, for a more perfect piece of acting is not 

 to be seen. 



Do you know a burnt patch in the woods, or a 



