THE GROUSE OF MAPLE RUN. 73 



the top of it, obtaining a good view of the whole per- 

 formance. Tom by this time had obtained an offing, and 

 was bearing down straight for her. When within a hundred 

 yards of her, be commenced singing at the top of his voice, 

 that well-known hymn : 



" On Jordan's stormy Dinks I stand," 



and, as the wind was right, I could distinguish every word, 

 and was thoroughly enjoying the music, as Tom was gifted 

 with a grand voice, when I saw him suddenly bring his gun 

 to his shoulder, and then, with a half turn, he went down all 

 in a heap. Knowing that the bird had started, I strained my 

 eyes to get sight of her. I soon saw her just over the wall 

 coming straight for me. Waiting until she was within shot, 

 and, knowing that I had a dead sure thing on her this time, 

 I sprang to my feet, and, facing the way she was going, 

 brought my gun to my shoulder and coolly waited until she 

 should get past me. Glancing in her direction, I was thun- 

 derstruck to find that she was nowhere to bs seen. A strange 

 unearthly feeling of awe crept over me, my hair commenced 

 to rise, my knees knocked together and I felt that I was in- 

 deed in the presence of something supernatural. This feeling 

 lasted but a second or two, as, upon looking down the wall, 

 I saw this phantom, a hundred yards away, rise from under 

 its protecting shelter and disappear over the top of the al- 

 ders. 'Feeling that I was deeply wronged, I sadly turned to- 

 ward Tom for sympathy, and was surprised to see him sit- 

 ting on the ground and beckoning for me to come to him. 

 When I got there I found that he had sprained his ankle 

 so badly that he was ucable to stand. With shamefacedness 

 and many expressions of heartfelt sorrow that he should have 

 so far forgotten himself as to even think of so unsportsman- 

 like an act, Tom confessed that the singing was to charm the 

 bird so that he could get near enough to shoot her before she 

 started. Just as he raised his gun to fire, one foot went in- 

 to a hole and, said he, "I received the reward justly my 

 due." 



As we were near the highway, I went over there and had 

 to wait but a few minutes when a team came along. We took 



