A Day in Ellington Woods. 



stretched away to the east for eighty rods, bordered on either 

 side by thick underbrush. A cute old grouse, that had de- 

 feated all my efforts for his capture during the entire season, 

 made his home on the margin of the slough. It was always 

 about the middle, on either one side or the other, that I had 

 flushed him. On the approach of man or dog, he would dash 

 into the thick undergrowth and, sailing just above the top of 

 the tall grass, drop into the thick brush on the other edge. On 

 my first introduction to him he had played this little game on 

 me twice before I realized that it was impossible to capture 

 him single-handed. I had a scheme for his capture that I 

 meant to put into execution, and, with this end in view, I told 

 J. F. to follow along the south side of the slough and I would 

 take the north side. In this way, if he should fly across from 

 either side, the one on the opposite side could get a chance at 

 him. I had hardly reached the middle of the slough when I 

 heard the old pheasant whirr up on the south side and burst 

 through the underbrush with a roar. I knew by the sound 

 about where he would strike, and, stepping quickly behind a 

 tree, waited for him. A streak of brown burst through the 

 brush, flashing across the golden bar of sunshine. My gun 

 flew to my shoulder and I pulled the trigger, though with small 

 hope of getting him, for my aim had been in a vague manner 

 at a momentary flash of brown. I was shooting black powder; 

 but when the smoke drifted away, I saw the cunning old cock 

 throwing up the leaves in his death struggle, and felt well re- 

 paid for the day's outing. Fifty birds killed in the ordinary 

 way would not have given me as much pleasure as this one. 

 Joining J. F. at the end of the slough, we walked around over 

 the ridge toward the team, and, as we neared the carriage, 

 could hear the merry laugh of the ladies and were glad to 

 know that, like ourselves, they were enjoying the outing. And 

 so we hitched up and drove leisurely home, refreshed and bet- 

 ter prepared for the duties of the morrow. 



Sports Afield. 



[118] 



