The Lamar register., 1909-02-03
CHAPTER III.-contInued.


The dog sprang to the front, circled
once, zigzagged through the ferns
around us and, all in a moment, stiff
fened stock still, rigid as sculptured
bronze. / stepped forward, raising my
gun, two PAGES, three PAGES. ten per-
haps, before n great cock-grouse blum
dered up from the brake and burst
through the thicket fringe toward the
deeper growth. There was flash and
pun from my gun. crash of echoes
among the low wooded cliffs. and
through the faint veil of smoke some
thing dark dropped from mid-air amid
a cloud of feathers, brown as the
brown leaves under foot.
Fetch"
Up from the ground sprang Voyou.
and in a moment he came galloping
back. neck arched, tail stiff but way
ing, holding tenderly in his pink mouth
a mass of notified bronzed feathers.
Very gravely he laid the bird at my
feet and crouched close beside it, his
silky ears across his paws, his muzzle
on the ground.
dropped the grouse into my pocket,
held for moment silent caressing
communion with Voyou. then swung
my gun under my arm and motioned
the dog on.
1t must have been five o'clock when
l walked into little opening in the
woods and sat down to breathe. Voyou
came and sat down in front of me.
"Well?" inquired.
voyou gravely presented one paw
which l took.
I'VE will never get back in time for
dinner" said ], so we might as well
take 1t easy. It's all your fault, you
know. Is there brier in your foot?
Let's see-there! it's out, my friend.
and you are free to nose about and
lick it. If you Ioll your tongue out
you'll get It all over twigs and moss.
Can't you lie down and try to pant
less? No, there is no use in smiling
and looking at that fern patch, for
we are going to smoke a little, doze
a little. and go home by moonlight.
Think of Howletts despair when we
are not in time! Think OF all the
stories you will have to tell to Gamin
and Mioche! Think what good dog
you have been! There-you are tired.
old chap; take 40 winks with me-"
Voyou was little tired. He
stretched out on the leaves at my feet,
but whether or not he really slept
could not be certain, until his hind
legs twitched and I knew he was
dreaming of mighty deeds.
Now / may have taken 40 winks, but
the sun seemed to be no lower when
sat up and Enclosed my lids. Voyou
In,
1 was not going yet, thumped his tail
half a dozen times on the dried leaves,
and settled back with sigh.
looked lazily around. and for the
first time noticed what a wonderfully
beautiful spot l had chosen Tor
nan. It was an oval glade in the
heart of the forest, level and carpeted
with green grass. The trees that sur
rounded 1t were gigantic; they formed
one towering circular wall OF verdure'
blotting out all except the turquoise
blue of the sky-oval above. And now
I noticed that in the center or the
greensward lay a pool of water, crys-
tai clear, glimmering like mirror IN
the meadow grass. beside a DOCK Oh
granite. 1t scarcely seemed possiple
that the symmetry of tree and lawn
and lucent pool could have been one
of natures accidents. 1 had never pc
foteseen this glade nor had L ever
head it spoken. of by either Pierpoh'
or Barris. 1t was marvel, this aia-
mond clear basin, regular and grace
full as Roman fountain. set In the
gem of turf. And these great trees.
they also belonged. not in Anne; America G.,
but in some legend-haunted forest OF
France, where moss-grown marbles
stand neglected in dim glades, and tne