THE RUFFED GROUSE 43 



placed when almost from under foot out dashes 

 a big red beauty and curls around my head in a 

 nerve-tangling curve. I try to turn with him 

 and just clear his steering gear with the first 

 cartridge, to steady down and make a good 

 clean kill with the second as he is entering the 

 tall timber. Mr. Dog retrieves him proudly, 

 glad to see his master score an average of one 

 kill to five cartridges. 



It is grand sport to stop their swift career (if 

 you can, for not every bungler can do this 

 trick) and it makes the pulses leap to see them 

 come hurtling to the ground. The birds are 

 now no weaklings — no half-fledged youngsters 

 still running with the mother, but plump and 

 well-grown beauties and the best game which 

 the New England gunner, or for that matter 

 any other student of the smoothbore, ever 

 brings to bag. 



For success all the requisites of the true 

 sportsman and the highest quality of work by 

 the dog are needed. The bird may lead your 

 dog a long chase through the timber, over 

 rocks, through briars and brush, keeping him 

 "reading" and ''pointing" until both have dis- 

 tanced the gun, and at such times he makes a 



