THE PINNATED GROUSE. 73 



she refused to accept any such terms, and laughingly- 

 told them they were more concerned about giving the 

 gloves than being beaten — a statement which elicited a 

 smiling glance of feigned reproof from her father, and 

 an astonished exclamation of ''Oh, you awful!" while 

 the Captain slyly intimated that she was so much afraid 

 of anything like an equal contest that, woman-like, she 

 held on to all the advantages she possessed. 



"And quite right, too," was the response; "else how 

 could woman keep the world in order? But I shan't 

 argue the matter with you any further now, as I want 

 some chickens for the surprise party to-night, and as 

 you don't seem inclined to get them, we must; so, au re- 

 voir." 



Calling the pointers into the carriage, she turned the 

 pony's head to the riglit, and giving him a light touch 

 of the whip, put him into a fast trot. The last cry I 

 heard as we were moving off was that of the General, 

 who suggested to us not to run away with the lunch. 



"Oh, won't it be delightful if we can beat them?" 

 said my fair companion, with childish enthusiasm, when 

 we Avere a short distance away, "as I do very much want 

 to win those gloves from the Captain, and boast of hav- 

 ing beaten papa and himself, for they consider them- 

 selves great shots. Our chances of beating them are 

 good, as one of them must hold the team while the other 

 shoots, whereas my pony will stand fire, and thus enable 

 us to work untrammelled. I can therefore help you in 

 securing any birds you wound, but would escape without 

 a little more salting." 



As she was kind enough not to intimate that I would 

 miss a bird, I began a weak sort of examination relative 

 to the Captain's prowess Avith the gun, and soon learned 

 that he was not only formidable with that weapon, but 

 also with Cupid's bow, for he had evidently deeply 

 4 



