THE RUFFED GROUSE 47 



wells up into bis nostrils, and, wild with the 

 joy of that soul-stirring moment, amazed at 

 their roaring wings, is it wonderful that he 

 does not perform like a veteran? My sports- 

 man friend, did you yourself score on your first 

 hurtling grouse? Have you always controlled 

 your startled nerves, making the most of every 

 favorable opportunity? I trow not! Then 

 shall we not have a little patience and with 

 more experience reverse our first unfavorable 

 decision? Maybe a good grouse dog is lost 

 there — who knows? But the puppy gets no 

 chance to atone for his mistake and commonly 

 is never again allowed to look at ruffed grouse 

 if his master can prevent, so that this is all the 

 schooling he gets in the ways of hunting this 

 bird. His master, instead of taking the pains 

 needful to teach his companion, becomes at 

 once a woodcock enthusiast and condemns the 

 grouse and all who admire him, finishing the 

 puppy's education on ^'timberdoodles" alone. 

 Yet it is only a matter of patience and tact, and 

 more of the same patience and tact, but great is 

 the reward thereof! 



Having in mind the nature of ruffed grouse 

 haunts, the difficulty of two legs keeping pace 



