at is the
matter? I asked merely for information."

"Upon my life! I believe I am!" said Frank Forester. "For I have not
loaded my gun at all, since I killed those two last snipe. And, when we
got up from luncheon, I put on the caps just as if all was right--but
all is right now," he added, for he had repaired his fault, and loaded,
before A--- or fat Tom had done staring, each in the other's face, in
blank astonishment.

"Step up to Grouse, then," said Archer, who had never taken his eye off
the old brown pointer, while he was loading as fast as he could. "He has
got a bird, close under his nose; and it will get up, and steal away
directly. That's a trick they will play very often."

"He haint got no bird," said Tom, sulkily. And Frank paused doubtful.

"Step up, I tell you, Frank," said Harry, "the old Turk's savage;
that's all."

And Frank did step up, close to the dog's nose; and sent his foot
through the grass close under it. Still the dog stood perfectly stiff;
but no bird rose.

"I telled you there warn't no quails there;" growled Tom.

"And I tell you there are!" answered Archer, more sharply than he often
spoke to his old ally; for, in truth, he was annoyed at his obstinate
pertinacity.

"What do you say, Commodore? Is Grouse lying? Kick that tussock--kick it
hard, Frank."

"Not he," replied A---; "I'll bet fifty to one, there's a bird there."

"It's devilish odd, then, that he won't get up!" said Frank.

Whack! whack! and he gave the hard tussock two kicks with his heavy
boot, that fairly made it shake. Nothing stirred. Grouse still kept his
point, but seemed half inclined to dash in. Whack! a third kick that
absolutely loosened the tough hassock from the ground, and then,
whirr-r, from within six inches of the spot where all three blows had
been delivered, up got the bird, in a desperate hurry; and in quite as
desperate a hurry Forester covered it--covered it before it was six
yards off! His finger was on the trigger, when Harry quietly said,
"Steady, Frank!" and the word acted like magic.

He took the gun quite down from his shoulder, nodded to his friend,
brought it up again, and turned the bird over very handsomely, at twenty
yards, or a little further.

"Beautifully done, indeed, Frank," said Harry. "So much for coolness!"

"What do you say to that, Tom?" said the Commodore, laughing.

But there was no laugh in Tom; he only muttered a savage growl, and an
awful imprecation; and Harry's