A Wary Mother 189 



In fact, he almost looks as though he had on 

 pantalets and you never see any but an old 

 bird with feathers like that." 



When we got within about ten rods of the 

 drumming log we crept forward carefully, 

 Ben leading the way and only going forward 

 while the cock was drumming and keeping 

 perfectly still when he stopped. 



This is the only way in which one can get 

 very close to a drumming cock, as they seem 

 to stop and listen between acts, to see that all 

 is well. 



Finally, we got up very close to the log, 

 within fifty feet perhaps, when Ben suddenly 

 motioned to me to come forward. We al* 

 ways spoke in signs in the woods, just as the 

 Indians do; this does not disturb the creature 

 watched. 



I crept forward as lightly as I could and 

 peered down between two tree trunks in the 

 direction that Ben indicated with his fin- 

 ger. 



The log was in a rather open spot and to 

 my great surprise I saw two cock partridges 



