THE GROUSE OF MAPLE HUN. 69 



her several rods in the open lot a few feet from the wall. I 

 was in the cover opposite them, and was suddenly startled by 

 aloud cry of "mark" from Tom, accompanied by a few 

 forcible word?, expressive of his disgu3t. I heard no rise 

 and went over to him to see what it all meant, when 

 he expLined that the bird had risen some twenty rod 3 away 

 without making thj slightest noise, and flown down en the 

 outside as far as he could see. We were both of us beginning 

 to get interested, and followed on in pretty good order, con- 

 sidering that we had been outgeneraled at every turn. The 

 dogs, after considerable work, found her trail in the open 

 lot, and followed it some distance, when we saw her rise a 

 long way ahead ; and swing to the left for a birch knoll that 

 I have already described as leading up to a scrub oak and 

 brier cover. She was not near enough for me to see very 

 distinctly, but I could readily see that she was of a very 

 light color. Sending Tom ahead to cut her off, should she 

 attempt to make for the briers, I took the dogs and beat up 

 the knoll, and soon had a beautiful point from Start that was 

 handsomely backed by Stop. I knew by the eaier way old 

 Start's jaws were quivering that the bird was close by, and, 

 stepping in ahead of him, was disgusted at seeing nothing 

 but an ordinary grouse flounder up and make off; but as the 

 rulling passion was ever strong, I pocketed my chagrin, and 

 drawing a bead on him, brought him down. At the report 

 of the gun our one-eyed friend rose twenty rods away, and 

 knowing that it was sure death to attempt the briers, flew 

 across the open meadows and went fur the white oak grove, 

 and I lost sight of her among the tops of the tallest trees. In 

 vain we b: at the whole cover in that direction, we could 

 get no trace of her. Concluding that she had "treed," we 

 commenced thumping each tree in the vicinity where I had 

 seen her last, and soon routed her. Sbe pitched down from 

 the top of a tall tree like a rojket reversed, aud not until 

 within two or three feet of the ground did she alter her 

 course. She received our fire with a cool complacency that 

 was not shared by us, and skimming along close to the 

 ground across the meadow, we saw her swing into the hated 



