LATE PINNATED-GROUSE SHOOTING. 77 



with many men in the month of November, and 

 good shots too, but never one that I did not 

 beat. 



Three times in the course of my experience in 

 field-shooting I have killed ten grouse with two 

 barrels. Once in Menard County, near Salt Creek, 

 late in November, I came upon a plank fence 

 in a light snow-storm. It happened that there 

 was a grapevine growing thickly over part of 

 the fence, and, getting this between me and the 

 birds, I secured a pretty close shot. They were 

 scattered along the fence for a distance of about 

 ten yards. With the first barrel I killed nine, 

 and with the other one. Another time I got a 

 shot at a lot near a fence, and killed ten with 

 two barrels. And once in Logan County I got 

 within shot of about twenty birds which were 

 in short grass, and killed ten with both barrels. 

 Such shots as these are very seldom to be got. 

 A man may shoot half a lifetime and never 

 meet with one. I have often, in the early part 

 of the season, killed a grouse with each barrel 

 out of a pack which rose near me, and then 

 slipped in another cartridge, and killed a third. 

 But this is only to be done when they are lazy 

 and fly slowly, and it cannot be done then unless 



