ON THE GRAND PRAIRIE. 85 



the dogs, nothing showed. By coaxing they advanced 

 farther, and lay down. There was no mistake now; 

 this indication I seldom knew to fail. Short was 

 the period of suspense, for up the grouse commenced 

 rising, not all together, but by twos and threes. Each 

 gun killed two birds at the first fire, and not being 

 delayed in loading, our dogs were soon ordered to re- 

 trieve. Belle had not gone five paces to perform this 

 duty when she again stood, and bang, bang, from all 

 our guns followed; in five minutes we had fifteen birds 

 on the ground, and more flushing every moment. 

 What luck we were in ! We had evidently got out of 

 bed on the right side this morning, and were in for a big 

 day's work. In retrieving the birds two more fell to 

 our aim, making seventeen out of the covey, a pretty 

 good account ; and, better still, those that had not been 

 shot at, did not continue their flight more than a 

 hundred and fifty yards, when they lit on the brow of 

 a sunny bank. Having bagged our game, and handed 

 them to Hank (for that was our charioteer's name), 

 we progressed after the balance, and soon were at 

 work again ; the dogs struck them off at once, and 

 save that two escaped, who were out of bounds, 

 and took a lengthened journey out prairie wards, we 

 bagged all. 



Hank now returned, and gave us the satisfactory 



