402 AMERICAN GAME BIRD SHOOTING 



up and sent forward for the dead birds. They advance 

 very gingerly, and, picking them up, bring them neatly 

 to hand. One of the dogs brings his always by the 

 wing or neck, while the other grasps his bird about 

 the body, and seems to rejoice in the huge mouthful 

 that he has; yet he never bites nor apparently even 

 pinches the bird. 



Long before this both men had been watching the 

 disappearing bevy, which flew far, and at last seemed 

 to go down in a slough of high grass which inter- 

 rupted the stubble. Here the young birds, lying like 

 stones, were pointed by the dogs and walked up by 

 the gunners, one after another, until almost the whole 

 covey was down; and so, very likely, it went on all 

 through the day, until the heat of the midday sun be- 

 came too strong for walking or shooting or dogs, and 

 a couple of hours' rest was taken. 



Late in the afternoon this was repeated, and some- 

 times a great bag was made ; but, after all, while this 

 was killing, and was exciting enough, it was not what 

 in these days would be called sport. The young birds 

 lie very close, they present a large mark, and are too 

 easy to hit. 



The great destruction finally led to the almost total 

 extermination of the pinnated grouse of the West in 

 regions where it had always been most abundant, and 

 to-day the sportsmen of that region are bearing the 

 burden of the sins of their fathers. 



The following charming account of shooting prairie 



