ed about a pint of applejack, an occupation in which he could not
persuade either of us, this time, to join him. Descending from our
elevated perch, we now got into a deep glen, with a small brooklet
winding along the bottom, bordered on either hand by a stripe of marshy
bog earth, bearing a low growth of alder bushes, mixed with stunted
willows. On the side opposite to that by which we had descended, the
hill rose long and lofty, covered with mighty timber-trees standing in
open ranks and overshadowing a rugged and unequal surface, covered with
whortleberry, wintergreen, and cranberries, the latter growing only
along the courses of the little runnels, which channeled the whole
slope. Here, stony ledges and gray broken crags peered through the
underwood, among the crevices of which the stunted cedars stood thick
set, and matted with a thousand creeping vines and brambles; while
there, from some small marshy basin, the giant Rhododendron Maximum rose
almost to the height of a timber tree.

"Here, Tom," said Harry, "keep you along this run--you'll have a
woodcock every here and there, and look sharp when you hear them fire
over the ridge, for they can't shoot to speak of, and the ruffed grouse
will cross--you know. You, master Frank, stretch your long legs and get
three parts of the way up this hill--over the second mound--there, do
you see that great blue stone with a thunder-splintered tree beside it?
just beyond that! then turn due west, and mark the trending of the
valley, keeping a little way ahead of me, which you will find quite
easy, for I shall have to beat across you both. Go very slow, Tom--now,
hurrah!"

Exhorted thus, I bounded up the hill and soon reached my appointed
station; but not before I heard the cheery voice of Archer encouraging
the eager spaniels--"Hie cock! hie cock! pu-r-r-h!"--till the woods rang
to the clear shout.

Scarce had I reached the top, before, as I looked down into the glen
below me, a puff of white smoke, instantly succeeded by a second, and
the loud full reports of both his barrels from among the green-leafed
alders, showed me that Tom had sprung game. The next second I heard the
sharp questing of the spaniel Dan, followed by Harry's "Charge!--down
Cha-arge, you little thief--down to cha-arge, will you!"

But it was all in vain--for on he went furious and fast, and the next
moment the thick whirring of a grouse reached my excited ears.
Carefully, eagerly, I gazed out to mark the