Redruff 4jr 



no doubt, showed keen observation, but was 

 also unfortunate proof of something not so 

 creditable. The lawful season for murdering 

 partridges began September 15th, but there was 

 nothing surprising in Cuddy's being out a fort- 

 night ahead of time. Yet he managed to es- 

 cape punishment year after year, and even con- 

 trived to pose in a newspaper interview as ar 

 interesting character. 



He rarely shot on the wing, preferring to pot 

 his birds, which was not easy to do when the 

 leaves were on, and accounted for the brood i~ 

 the third ravine going so long unharmed ; but 

 the near prospect of other gunners finding them 

 now, had stirred him to go after *a mess of 

 birds.* He had heard no roar of wings when 

 the mother-bird led off her four survivors, so 

 pocketed the two he had killed and returned 

 to the shanty. 



The little grouse thus learned that a dog is 

 not a fox, and must be differently played ; and 

 an old lesson was yet more deeply graven — 

 * Obedience is long life.' 



The rest of September was passed in keeping 

 quietly out of the way of gunners as well as 

 some old enemies. They still roosted on the 

 long, thin branches of the hardwood trees among 

 the thickest leaves, which protected them from 



