73 AMERICAN GAME BIRD SHOOTING. 



three steps before an old cock rose out of the grass with 

 a whirr that startled me, and rushed straight ahead; 

 but he had not gone far before he came down with a 

 loud thud, Lucy having bagged him. 



" There is no doubt now that you will be shamefully 

 beaten," said the enthusiastic young lady, as she glee- 

 fully clapped her hands for several seconds. 



Having placed the dead birds in the phaeton, I was 

 about to enter, when four shots in rapid succession 

 caused me to wheel about just in time to see three birds 

 come tumbling down amid a shower of feathers, and 

 another swoop over the crest of a hillock as if it were 

 badly hit. 



" Oh, they are beating us!" exclaimed Miss Lucy in a 

 tone of girlish disajipointment, but the next moment 

 she gave a scream of fear, for the double team, having 

 become alarmed at the firing, and being under no con- 

 trol, dashed for the hillside at their best pace. Throw- 

 ing down our weapons, the Captain and myself started 

 in hot pursuit, and overtook them in less than two min- 

 utes, as one of the horses had been thrown by stejiping 

 into a prairie-dog hole. Before he could arise, owing to 

 the kicking and splurging of the other, we had both of 

 them by the reins, and the fallen one was soon on his 

 legs. The only damage caused by this catastrophe was 

 the breaking of the shaft, and giving the unlucky steed 

 a good shaking, which made him tremble with excite- 

 ment Avhen he stood erect. The shaft was speedily 

 mended with a stout piece of cord, and, everything 

 being all right again, we resumed the sport which had 

 been so inauspiciously interrupted. To prevent further 

 accidents of that character, it was decided that one per- 

 son should hold the team while the other shot, each to 

 be driver in turn, and, to equalize the contest of the 

 day, they wished Miss Lucy to agree that only one 

 gun in each team should be engaged at a time, but 



