THE PINNATED GROUSE. 71 



cess of each gun, the promptest bookmaker and most 

 confident person being the sanguine young lady who was 

 to act as my cicerone. 



When breakfast was finished we entered the vehicles 

 waiting for us at the door, and on taking our seats the 

 dogs jumped to their places at our feet. We drove about 

 five miles from the house, and on reaching a rolling 

 stretch of prairie, which was one mass of grass, grain, 

 and flowers as far as the eye could see, we set the dogs to 

 work, to see if we had chosen a good locality for a com- 

 mencement. As soon as they had stretched their legs and 

 yawned once or twice, they began ranging, but they had 

 not gone twenty yards away before one of the setters 

 came to a point, and he had no sooner done so than the 

 other three dogs backed him in the most beautiful man- 

 ner. Their attitude was so statuesque and full of mo- 

 bile gracefulness, that we stood looking at them for some 

 seconds in admiration, for they presented as charming a 

 canine picture as it was possible to conceive. It was 

 only when the General asked who was to have the first 

 shot, that we were recalled to the more practical work of 

 the day. The query was answered by his fair daughter 

 stating that, as the first bird brought luck, we should 

 draw lots for the privilege of grassing it. This ceremony 

 was very brief, as it consisted merely in giving the fin- 

 gers the name of each person present — the names being 

 known to two, to avoid any favoritism — and then having 

 a third person touch one of the fingers and say, " This 

 shoots." I was fortunate enough to be the party selected 

 for opening the ball, and, marching up to the dogs, 

 which held to their point as rigidly as if they were made 

 of cast-iron, 1 flushed the bird, and brought it down 

 within ten paces of the muzzle of the gun. 



" First feather for us! " shouted a feminine voice be- 

 hind me; "we are sure to beat you now." 



I advanced to pick up the slain, but had not taken 



