114 rPLAXD SHOOTOs'G. 



five or six nice bunches, and by to-morrow they'll be 

 back where I found 'em; cant you go?" 



" Well, m tell you,"' said Ben, looking serious, and 

 shaking his head; " it all depends on one thing, and that 

 rests altogether with you. ' ' 



"How so,"' returned Jim, thinking some great obsta- 

 cle in the way. " Tou know; Ben, I" 11 do anything or 

 everything to help you get away." 



•■ Well, its just like this. I can't go unless you will 

 agree to — to — to have that old coffee-pot warm at 5 

 o'clock to-morrow morning."' 



We will pass by the undignified performance that 

 followed, and meet our heroes again as they cross the 

 field toward the woods at sunrise next morning. 



The energetic, but dignified, old setter is trotting 

 straight for the ^^oods — and that reminds me that Ben and 

 Jim had decided, long before, that one dog, well broken, 

 suited their purpose better than two, or more, equally 

 good; also that partners were as necessary in grouse- 

 shooting as in whist, and that the methods were identi- 

 cal, i. e., only he won who remembered that his partner 

 had rights which the other was bound to respect, and 

 that nothing was gained by getting excited or in a 

 hurry. Through a good-natured rivalry, which existed 

 for years, they never lost sight of these points, nor that 

 the observance of these laws was responsible for a con- 

 tinuation of the friendship. 



They also knew it to be safer and more companionable 

 to keep together, and that with one strong dog enough 

 ground could be covered between sunrise and sunset to 

 satisfy anyone except a professional pedestrian. 



Each had provided himself with forty carefully loaded 

 shells, hoping, as usual, that the events of the day might 

 be recorded in red letters. As they marched buoyantly 

 along, Ben asked: ""Where shall we go fiist, JimT' 



