178 UPLAND SHOOTING. 



It is a level park, four or five acres in extent, covered 

 with rich grasses that reach the backs of our horses. 

 About three sides of the camping-ground is a brook, clear 

 as crystal, save where it dashes into white spray amid 

 rocks and riffles, and cold as the snow-banks whence it 

 springs. The fourth side is a bluff, and beyond this the 

 plateau stretches away to the mountains. The brook is 

 girt with willows and other shrubbery, and upon it open 

 canons, where the trembling aspen grows and where the 

 black- tailed deer rests during the heat of the day. Peaks, 

 capped with eternal snow, seem almost within rifle-shot, 

 and just below the snow-line are forests of pine. Horses 

 are soon hobbled or picketed, the tent is set up, a string 

 of trout is caught; then supper and bed-time crowd on 

 apace, and hardly have we fallen into a good sound sleep 

 ere another morning is upon us, and we arise with the 

 matin-song of the warblers. Lest our occupations 

 become monotonous, we divide, after breakfast, into 

 three parties one with rifles to go up among the quaking 

 aspens, another to explore the stream with rod and reel, 

 arid the third, with guns and dogs, to beat the thickets 

 for birds. During our stay here it will be a poor repast 

 at which we do not sit down to broiled venison steak, 

 fried grouse, speckled trout, with an occasional teal or 

 widgeon, and to sauces of wild currants or gooseberries, 

 stewed "sar vice-berries," and sweet black-caps; but it 

 is hardly time to discuss supper, as we start out after 

 breakfast, ready for the work of the day, lightly clad in 

 suits of canvas. We wear thick-soled, laced shoes in 

 preference to boots, as we have no climbing. The grouse 

 will fly up and down stream, but not across the bluffs on 

 either side. Unless they scatter in the aspens, our path 

 will be as level as a floor. Crossing the brook, our dogs 

 range well, and we follow at an easy pace. Suddenly 

 they catch the scent, wheel, and slowly advance toward a 



