206 PRAIRIE AND FOREST. 



ance was soon rewarded, for a hundred yards farther our 

 setters again drew on game, Beau now having the lead. 

 Up we went, and although alongside 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 retrieve. 

 Belle had not gone five paces to perform this duty when 

 she again stood, and bang, bang, from all our guns fol- 

 lowed ; in five minutes we had fifteen birds on the ground, 

 aud more flushing every moment. What luck we were in ! 

 We had evidently got out of bed on the right side that 

 morning, and were in for a big day's work. While retriev- 

 ing 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 two hundred 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 

 hunted up the survivors, 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 ward, we bagged all. 



Our charioteer now returned, and gave us the satisfactory 

 information that there were plenty more, but at the same 

 time adding, "Look you here, jist leave some to breed." 

 We found that our fat friend was correct, for before ten 

 minutes we were again enfilading a second covey. I must 

 tell you how splendidly Beau found this pack. When rang- 

 ing two hundred yards off, at his usual swinging gallopj he 

 stopped, and sticking his old, knowing head perpendicularly 

 in the air, commenced walking straight forward, with a del- 



