THE CANADA GROUSE. 113 
in contemplation, we were suddenly and violently aroused 
from our revery by a tremendous crashing of branches 
behind us, and on looking round we saw a venerable 
giant of the forest come tumbling down from its exalted 
position, and fall prone to the earth with aloud thud, 
amidst a shower of leaves and boughs. 
‘¢That giant has run his race, and must now moulder 
like common mortals,” exclaimed my companion, medi- 
tatively. ‘‘I wonder what causes these trees to fall 
when there is no wind blowing!” 
I explained to him that trees were governed by the 
same law as everything else in nature, and fell and died 
from old age as much as man did. 
‘« But they don’t die suddenly of apoplexy, as that one 
apparently did,” he naively replied. 
I remarked that if old trees were deprived of rain for 
any length of time the roots become dry and brittle, 
and furnish no sustenance to the trunk and branches; 
but that the foliage absorbed moisture from the air, often 
to the amount of hundreds of pounds, and, as none of 
this went to the roots, the extra strain was too much 
for them to bear, and they gave away suddenly, and 
hurled the proud monarch of the forest to the ground in 
a moment, just as the snapping of the cords of the heart 
would kill a human being. 
“¢ Well,” said he, ‘‘I never could before understand 
why trees fell on fine days, but now I can, and I wonder 
J never thought of it.” 
‘“‘-We had better move after that terrier,” said I, ‘‘ or 
we shall not bag enough birds to make half a dinner.” 
“ All right!” was the answer; “‘but I think we ought 
to take all game as it comes along. Suppose we try still 
hunting?” 
As this idea suited me very well, we crossed the 
meadow, towards the ocean, and on entering the woods 
a fawn, about a year old, jumped up not ten feet away 
