THE RUFFED GROUSE. 53 



ing into the green below; another changed his 

 course at the report of another barrel and mounted 

 skyward through the tree-tops ; the third seemed 

 to leave a hole in space with another barrel flam- 

 ing vainly into the empty hole ; while the bird 

 that had mounted above the trees poised for a 

 second on high, then closed his wings and de- 

 scended with a heavy bump to earth. 



The fallen birds retrieved, we went to find the 

 scattered members of the flock. Some three 

 hundred yards we wandered through checkered 

 shades when Frank began to dawdle in his pace. 

 He sniffed inquiringly at the breeze that played 

 along the hillside. To us it was laden only with 

 the fragrance of ferns and clover, wild buckwheat 

 and peas, with late wild-rose and mint, but the 

 dog smelt something more, for suddenly he 

 stopped, and at the same instant a bird broke the 

 green cover some fifteen yards ahead of him. 

 Two charges of shot shivered the tremulous green 

 of the birch behind which it disappeared, the air 

 throbbed no more beneath its wings, a nebula of 

 fine feathers drifted into sight. 



Up and down the hill both dogs were again 

 soon beating the ground. In about five minutes 



