198 Trails to Woods and Waters 



hurried forward. We were just in time to 

 see a bevy of tiny partridges scurrying in 

 every direction, while the mother was flutter- 

 ing about upon the ground in great agony. 

 I sprang forward to catch her, but she slipped 

 from my grasp. Then I remembered some- 

 thing that had happened once before when 

 Ben and I discovered a brood of partridge 

 chicks, and did not try further to catch her. 

 Presently she flew away and I turned to see 

 what Ben was doing. 



He was sitting on a log laughing and I 

 could see that he was immensely pleased about 

 something. 



I did not think that he was laughing at 

 my trying to catch the lame mother par- 

 tridge, for I had only been fooled for a min- 

 ute. 



" Well, well, Harry, that old partridge has 

 completely whipped us at our own game. 

 Never heard of anything quite so slick in my 

 whole life." 



" I know she has hidden all her chicks and 

 gotten away herself," I answered, " but what 



