s anxiety to get a shot, started up, aimed at
the birds, and blew the top of a willow, which stood a couple of feet
before him, into a thousand atoms. The partridges were very tame, and
only flew to a neighbouring clump of bushes, where they alighted.
Meanwhile Crusty picked up his birds, and while reloading his gun
complimented the skipper upon the beautiful manner in which he
_pointed_. To this he answered not, but raising his gun, let drive at a
solitary bird which, either from fear or astonishment, had remained
behind the rest, and escaped detection until now, owing to its
resemblance to the surrounding snow. He fortunately succeeded in
hitting this time, and bagged it with great exultation. Our next essay
was even more successful. The skipper fired at one which he saw sitting
near him, killed it,--and also two more which he had not seen, but which
had happened to be in a line with the shot; and Crusty and I killed a
brace each when they took wing.

During the whole day we wandered about the woods, sometimes killing a
few ptarmigan, and occasionally a kind of grouse, which are called by
the people of the country wood-partridges. Whilst sauntering slowly
along in the afternoon, a rabbit darted across our path; the skipper
fired at it without even putting the gun to his shoulder, and to his
utter astonishment killed it. After this we turned to retrace our
steps, thinking that, as our game bags were pretty nearly full, we had
done enough for one day. Our sport was not done, however; we came
suddenly upon a large flock of ptarmigan, so tame that they would not
fly, but merely ran from us a little way at the noise of each shot. The
firing that now commenced was quite terrific. Crusty fired till both
barrels of his gun were stopped up; the skipper fired till his powder
and shot were done; and I fired till--_I skinned my tongue_! Lest any
one should feel surprised at the last statement, I may as well explain
_how_ this happened. The cold had become so intense, and my hands so
benumbed with loading, that the thumb at last obstinately refused to
open the spring of my powder-flask. A partridge was sitting impudently
before me, so that, in the fear of losing the shot, I thought of trying
to open it with my teeth. In the execution of this plan, I put the
brass handle to my mouth, and my tongue happening to come in contact
with it, stuck fast thereto--or, in other words, was frozen to it. Upon
discovering this, I