Page:Christmas Fireside Stories.djvu/83

A Day with the Capercailzies. 71 hills, which surrounded us on all sides as far as the eye could reach ; the view was broken only by an ice-bound lake here and there amid the extensive bogs. Wc had not been there long after sunset before wc heard a rushing sound which betrayed the flight of a heavy bird, flying to roost in a neighbouring tree. "That was no old bird," said the captain with the air of an expert, when the bird remained silent after it had roosted. Soon afterwards two other capercailzies came sweeping past and settled on their roost, likewise in silence, but the next moment wc heard a fourth bird approaching with a still heavier stroke and a still louder rush, and this one commenced snapping its beak as soon as it had roosted. " That fellow was not born yesterday. He is the cock of the walk here," said Peter ; " I shouldn't wonder if it is our old iriend himself" Three more birds came in, and as each took up his roosting place, the old bird repeated his challenge by snapping his beak at them. Two made no answer, but the third made the same sort of snapping sound in reply. " Hes a stranger," exclaimed Peter, "he does not know the old one ;if he did, he would have held his tongue. Hell be sorry for it in the morning, believe me, when our old friend finds him out, for he is not one to be played with, when he gets his temper up. I once saw what a dressing he gave a silly chattering fool, that answered his challenge some time before." As he spoke, his open weather-beaten face assumed a curious grinning expression, which was heightened by some remarkable sarcastic folds and wrinkles, evidently called forth by the recollec tion of some mysterious story or another. According to the description our captain had given me of Peter Sandåker once when he had dropped behind on the march, he was parti cular ly good at telling tales and stories about goblin-birds, doubles, and fairies, and had a special fancy for entering into the most minute details, whenever he commenced telling about one or the othcr of the eigMeen bears he had killed in his time. He was very silent,