38 GAME-BIRDS AT HOME. 



scent, and standing as solid as the log itself. 

 Once with soft twitter a cock rose a few feet in 

 air as we came up, and made so sudden a turn 

 there was no time to fire. Not thirty feet from 

 where it rose it alighted on the ground, and with 

 drooping wings and tail erect strutted along for 

 several yards like a turkey-gobbler, with the dog 

 pacing solemnly behind it at a safe distance, sur- 

 prised at this peculiar action, which is so rare that 

 many sportsmen and many dogs have never seen 

 it. 



Two or three hours on pleasant days would 

 generally give one all the shooting a reasonable 

 being should want. It grew better toward even- 

 ing, and the homeward trip was ever a pleasure. 

 The night-heron flapped his solemn way in the 

 air above, and the deep Too-Jwo of the great 

 owl resounded through the darkening green that 

 lined the slough. The smooth surface of the 

 river glimmered long after sunset, with crimson 

 and gold reflected from the fleecy clouds above. 

 Far up and down the Minnesota side the bluffs 

 lay darkly blue, while on the Wisconsin side they 

 held a long, lingering trace of pink as if unwilling 

 to let go of day. Long pickerel shone as they 



