18 iJKWiTcim) BIRD. 



bird alight on a tree within an easy distance. To place 

 the gun to his shoulder and fire is now the work of a 

 moment; and to the undisguised delight, not to say 

 astonishment, of both our doughty knights of the chase, 

 the old blunderbuss went off with a loud bang, and the 

 troll-bird gave up the ghost." 



" Even during the following year," so we are further 

 informed by Lieutenant Jack, " fortune once more favoured 

 Pettersson and his wretched gun. One fine day a Caper- 

 eali cock came and perched on a wood-pile near to his 

 house ; and although many people were moving about, it 

 evinced no alarm whatever. Pettersson, on seeing the 

 bird, lost no time in loading his piece, the touchhole of 

 which, in consequence of the past year's misadventure, he 

 had caused to be considerably enlarged ; but in cocking 

 the gun the mainspring broke, thus rendering it impossible 

 to obtain fire in the usual manner. But Pettersson's clever- 

 ness overcame even this difficulty ; for, after an unsuccess- 

 ful attempt with flint and steel to ignite the powder in 

 the pan, he applied to it a live coal taken from the grate, 

 when the charge instantly exploded, and Pellc fell dead 

 to the ground." 





