THE SHARP-TAILED GROUSE. 93 



from one to three pounds, in about forty minutes. These 

 were wrapped up in nearly two inches of moistened clay 

 and thrown into the middle of the fire, and as the clay 

 hardened almost immediately, the fish began to bake 

 through and through in this improvised oven. They were 

 left in the fire until the birds were ready, and then poked 

 out with a stick. The clay was next moistened with 

 water, and on being stuck with a ramrod it separated and 

 took the fish skins with it, leaving the trout whole, and 

 with all their juices retained, so that they made a most 

 delicious dish. They were then cleaned and sjmnkled with 

 salt, and being placed on dishes made of poplar leaves, 

 they divided the honors of the feast with the young 

 grouse. 



Having partaken of our lunch, we resumed operations 

 by beating a thin fringe of shrubbery which margined 

 the river. We found this an excellent place, for the 

 birds were abundant there, and nearly every shot of ours 

 counted. The reports of our guns brought some of the 

 Indians to see us after awhile, and the surprise they ex- 

 pressed at the way in which the dogs worked was most 

 pleasing to their owners. One Avarrior said they must 

 have "very strong medicine" to be able to find birds so 

 readily, and he looked as though he would like to have 

 them to eat, in hopes of getting their "good medicine" 

 transplanted to himself. The dogs ranged and backed 

 each other so well that it would have afforded pleasure to 

 any one to see them at work, let alone untutored sav- 



When they came to a point one time, I advanced 

 and flushed a grouse, and as it rose I gave it the right 

 barrel, but I only succeeded in knocking a cloud of 

 feathers out of it. I then tried the left, and found it 

 was empty. Not caring to lose the bird, I shouted im- 

 pulsively to an Indian who stood near me to shoot at it, 

 as he had a bow and arrow in his hand. He complied. 



