WHERE THE UNEXPECTED HAPPENED. 



LESTER C. REM SEN. 



I had stretched for the third time, given 

 Bob an extra poke and urgently requested 

 him to get up and start the camp fire; but 

 as my efforts were of no avail, I finally 

 crawled out myself, and piling up some 

 sticks, soon had a cheerful blaze in front 

 of our tent. It was my first morning 

 in the woods, so I was ^startled when a 

 sudden thump, thump, thump came from 

 the bushes near. I dropped my hatchet 

 and dived into the tent ajter my gun. The 

 first thing 1 laid my hands on was Bob's 

 little 22 caliber rifle wtBt which I em- 

 erged, feeling much braver, and then I 

 smiled at myself for I realized that the 

 noise I heard was ruffed grouse drumming. 



I started in the direction of the sound, 

 and it was repeated. Then I nearly jumped 

 out of my skin when he started up 

 again at full blast, not more than 40 

 feet from me. I dropped on my knees 

 and watched him. He was a magnificent 

 old chap, and as he strutted up and down 

 the mossy log, from which he had chosen 

 to sound his morning call, I forgot that 

 I had come out to shoot him. He stepped 

 carefully along, much after the fashion of 

 a bantam rooster I once owned, spread- 

 ing his tail like a turkey gobbler, with his 

 coal black ruffs standing out straight from 

 his neck and his crest lifted to its utmost 

 capacity. He reached the end of his beat, 

 and turning, was still an instant, then his 

 wings rose again, and it seemed as if my 

 head would split with the vibrations of his 

 long call. 



When he was quiet I heard a hen chuckle 

 in a clump of bushes and I decided it was 

 time to act. I poked the rifle between the 

 twigs and drew a bead on his head. I 

 had done-— considerable, quail .and snipe 

 shooting, but had never killed a ruffed 

 grouse, so this was an exciting moment for 

 me. A dry stick snapped sharply under my 

 knee, and I thought I had lost him, but in- 

 stead, he gave me the opportunity I wished, 

 for he stopped and stretched his neck to 

 listen. There was a little report, a sudden 

 tumble, and a lot of flapping down among 

 the dry leaves. I fell over the brush and 

 logs in my efforts to grab him. Then I sat 

 down on the log, held him up. looked him 

 over, laid him in my lap while I smoothed 

 his plumes, and laughed as I thought how 

 surprised Bob would be when he saw me 

 walking into camp with such a prize. 



I gave the rifle a little pat and was throw- 

 ing away the empty shell when I heard the 

 hen chuckle again and a rustle in the leaves. 

 There stood the old lady, looking at me 



as she stepped cautiously around, twisting 

 her head about and apparently talking to 

 herself in the chuckling fashion which I 

 had heard before. I grinned so hard with 

 delight and expectation that I was afraid 

 she would take alarm and get away be- 

 fore I could put in a new cartridge. I 

 did not want to hit her in the body, for it 

 would tear her, and I had heard Bob say 

 that a woodsman in that section would never 

 do such a thing. Finally I pulled the trig- 

 ger and had the satisfaction of seeing her 

 tumble over and flop about for an instant. 

 When I picked her up I found that the 

 bullet had gone through the middle of her 

 back instead of her head, and my pride 

 at my skill was considerably lessened. I 

 covered the wound with the feathers so 

 that Bob could not see it and made up 

 my mind that I would show him the old 

 fellow first. He could see where my shot 

 had hit and perhaps he would not ask about 

 the hen. 



Bob offered his congratulations and we 

 soon had the birds frying for breakfast. 

 We were stowing them away in good shape 

 when I heard a grunt from Bob. 



"Huh ! I thought you shot these birds 

 in the head," and he held up a bullet, 

 dented by his teeth. 



"Well, you see that little rifle of yours 



"Oh, yes, I know all about that little 

 rifle ! There isn't a better shooting one 

 in 7 States." 



I thought it unnecessary to reply. After 

 washing cur dishes, we started back into 

 the mountains where deer were more plenti- 

 ful. On our way we caught a glimpse of 

 the white flag of a doe as she disappeared 

 over the brow of a hill.. We selected a 

 cleared space, which was protected on 3 

 sides by rocks and tamarack scrubs, and 

 pitched our tiny tent among the evergreens, 

 with the front toward the pond. After we 

 finished eating, I spread out my blanket 

 for a comfortable nap, but Bob disappeared 

 behind ' le bushes which skirted the camp. 

 When he returned he had 3 more grouse, 

 and I had a laugh on him, for I showed him 

 where a bullet had torn through the breast 

 of one bird and told him we were square. 



"But it was so dark ." 



"Oh, yes, but with that little rifle, you 

 know, Bob !" 



We slept snugly in our blankets, on ever- 

 green boughs, and when Bob crawled out 

 he aroused me by an exclamation. About 

 4 inches of snow had fallen, and Bob was 

 wild with delight. 



364 



