88 GAME-BIRDS AT HOME. 



be returned and that his own private indorse- 

 ment of it was all that was needed to make it 

 certain), we loaded and moved on. It was plain 

 that some of the main flock had gone farther 

 than those we had scattered a few minutes before, 

 and there might be a dozen or more ahead of us. 



So thought the dog ; for, after careful investi- 

 gation of the breeze, he straightened out his tail, 

 and, as we stopped, two more grouse rose from 

 about the place where the last one fell. Bang, 

 whang, k-bang went all four barrels before the 

 game had fairly cleared the top of the ferns. 

 Each seemed trying to shoot quicker than the 

 other, so as to have no doubt about the results 

 this time. And there were no doubts. 



In the shade of some alders along a sparkling 

 brook we spent the noon at lunch, finishing on 

 the luscious red and yellow wild plums of this 

 country, and lay there talking quite awhile after- 

 ward before noticing that the dog was missing. 

 The longest blasts of the whistle brought noth- 

 ing for some time, when the dog suddenly ap- 

 peared on the crest of the next ridge. For a 

 moment he stood looking coolly at us with 

 slowly-waving tail, then deliberately turned and 



