drew himself up with marvelous suddenness 

 to listen and watch for the intruder. 

 <3fAe O/'Beecfi He seemed relieved that the log was not 

 ^/^rr/ag^e occupied ; but he was still full of wrath and 

 3^^ suspicion. He glided and dodged all about 



the place, looking and listening; then he 

 sprang to his log and, without waiting to 

 strut and spread his gorgeous feathers as 

 usual, he rolled out the long call, drawing 

 himself up straight the instant it was done, 

 turning his head from side to side to catch 

 the first beat of his rival's answer. — " Come 

 out, if you dare ; drum, if you dare. Oh, you 

 coward ! " And he hopped, five or six high, 

 excited hops, like a rooster before a storm, 

 to the other end of the log, and again his 

 quick throbbing drum-call rolled through the 

 listening woods. 



Though I was near enough to see him 

 clearly without my field glasses, I could not 

 even then, nor at any other time when I have 

 watched grouse drumming, determine just 

 how the call is given. After a little while 

 the excitement of a suspected rival's pres- 

 ence wore away, and he grew exultant, 



