them as they flew off. They pitched about a hundred
yards or so, and then went plunge under the snow--every one of them
making a hole for itself just like where one had poked their foot in! I
guess, boys, this looked funny enough. I thought I would be sure to get
a shot at some of these grouse as they came out again; so I walked
straight up to the holes they had made, and stood waiting. I still saw
the hawk hovering in the air, about an hundred yards ahead of me.

"I was considering whether I ought to go farther on, and tramp the birds
out of the snow; for I believed, of course, they were still under the
place where the holes were. All at once I noticed a movement on the
crust of the snow right under where the hawk was flying, and then that
individual shot down to the spot, and disappeared under the snow! At
the same instant, the crust broke in several places, and up came the
grouse one after another, and whirred off out of sight, without giving
me any sort of a chance. The hawk, however, had not come up yet; and I
ran forward, determined to take him as soon as he should make his
appearance. When I had got within shooting distance, up he fluttered to
the surface, and--what do you think?--he had one of the grouse
struggling in his claws! I let him have the right barrel, and both he
and grousy were knocked dead as a couple of door-nails!

"I thought I might fall in with the others again; and kept on in the
direction they had taken, which brought me at last to a piece of
woodland consisting of birches and willow-trees. As I was walking along
the edge of this, I noticed one of the willows, at some distance off,
covered with great white things, that at first I took for flakes of
snow; but then I thought it curious that none of the other trees had the
same upon them. As I came a little nearer, I noticed one of the things
moving, and then I saw they were birds, and very like the same I had
just seen, and was then in search of. So I crept in among the trees;
and, after some dodging, got within beautiful shooting distance, and
gave them both barrels. There, you see the result!"

Here Francois triumphantly pointed to the pile of birds, which in all,
with the jerfalcon, counted four brace and a half.

One was the rock-grouse, which the falcon had itself killed, and the
others were willow-grouse, as Lucien had stated. Francois now remained
silent, while Basil related his day's adventure.

CHAPTER THIRTY SIX.