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A Day with the Capercailzies. 74 played away tiil the tree shook ; he did not forget the gobbling and snapping this time, nor did he stir from his place either. When he commenced his performance for the fourth time I had got within shot of him, he was sitting on one of the lower branches close to the trunk of the tree. " Now you are mine, thought I, for instead of a bullet I had loaded with a silver sixpence, which I had cut up for the purpose. But I made a mistake after all ; I had no sooner flred than he flew straight away, as if nothing was the matter, although his feathers flew out in a cloud. No, the bullet isn't made yet that will kili that fellow." " Anyhow, Peter, wc will have another try at him to-morrow," said the captain with a somewhat malicious expression. ** Wc know where he roosts at any rate." " Well, if there were no other birds to be found in the woods, one might perhaps take the trouble to run after him," answered Peter in a somewhat angry tone. "But, dear me," he added ironically, "if the captain will go after him, so , only I don't intend to waste a gram of powder on him. I can only say," he continued with an air of simplicity, "that such playing no one has heard before. And such a bird ! Why, it's the most remarkable bird you ever saw. He is not like other capercailzies at all ; he is at least half as big again, and perhaps more." "Yes, you are right, he is a tough old one, scarcely worth powder and shot," said the captain ; " his flcsh must be as tough and bitter as the fir-twig he roosts on. I would, however, like to see some one put a bullet through him to get an end to all these pranks of his which he so often has played on us. I have been after him several times, without being able to get within shot of him during the play. Twice, however, have 1 had a shot at him, but at such a long distance, that there was but little chance of my hitting him. It is of course a most foolish thing twice to take a long shot in a capercailzie wood, as you know," said the captain, appealing to me ; " but the last time I had no choice, because I heard that villainous Andreas stalking the bird at the same time. He is really, as Peter says, a wonderful bird, this old capercailzie