190 The Grouse Family 



said the colonel, looking as solemn as a red-faced 

 owl. 



Once more poor M failed ; he had no heart 



for the task, and a dainty brown hen whirred to 

 safety. 



"Now, gentlemen, for the open," said the 

 colonel, and he shook up his team as though 

 his sole anxiety was to find the biggest, laziest 

 grouse in the state. He was anxious, too, for 

 there is nothing like getting a short-tempered 

 man to try to do something when he's hot. 



" Point ! Yours, Mr. S ," he sung out half 



an hour later, and that particular chicken might 

 have served as the title-deed to a lead mine. Up 

 sprang another, and it flew into four bits. 



" Go ! " said he to M , who promptly went 



— to pieces ! 



Never was seen a worse case of genuine quit, 

 and suffice it to say, after three perfectly inex- 

 cusable misses, he turned to me and said, "I — I 



— give it up. I'm not feeling very well." 



At the club. The colonel, if possible, more 

 suave and debonair than usual. 



"Yes, suh, boo-ti{\x\ match, suh; one of the 

 finest ever I saw, suh ! They outgunned us a 

 bit, suh, the big ' ten ' against a poor little 

 'twelve,' but my young friend is quick, suh, 

 rw-markably quick, suh, and that helped, espe.- 



