THE SHARP-TAILED GROUSE. 93 
from one to three pounds, in about forty minutes. These 
were wrapped up in nearly two inches of moistened clay 
and thrown into the middle of the fire, and as the clay 
hardened almost immediately, the fish began to bake 
through and through in this improvised oven. They were 
left in the fire until the birds were ready, and then poked 
out with a stick. The clay was next moistened with 
water, and on being stuck with a ramrod it separated and 
took the fish skins with it, leaving the trout whole, and 
with all their juices retained, so that they made a most 
delicious dish. They were then cleaned and sprinkled with 
salt, and being placed on dishes made of poplar leaves, 
they divided the honors of the feast with the young 
grouse. 
Having partaken of our lunch, we resumed operations 
by beating a thin fringe of shrubbery which margined 
the river. We found this an excellent place, for the 
birds were abundant there, and nearly every shot of ours 
counted. The reports of our guns brought some of the 
Indians to see us after awhile, and the surprise they ex- 
pressed at the way in which the dogs worked was most 
pleasing to their owners. One warrior said they must 
have ‘‘ very strong medicine” to be able to find birds so 
readily, and he looked as though he would like to have 
them to eat, in hopes of getting their ‘‘ good medicine” 
transplanted to himself. The dogs ranged and backed 
each other so well that it would have afforded pleasure to 
any one to see them at work, let alone untutored say- 
eS. 
Then they came to a point one time, I advanced 
and flushed a grouse, and as it rose I gave it the right 
barrel, but I only succeeded in knocking a cloud of 
feathers out of it. I then tried the left, and found -it 
was empty. Not caring to lose the bird, I shouted im- 
pulsively to an Indian who stood near me to shoot at it, 
as he had a bow and arrow in his hand. He complied, 
4 
