Page:Round the Yule Log.djvu/114

90 fir tree; the hens were making themselves agreeable, and cackled and snuffled their hoarse nasal sounds, which to the songbirds would be as unattractive as an old lady's whisperings of girlish love and soft words would be to us.

In the meantime we were hidden in a close juniper thicket on the little knoll, and expected the capercailzie cock every moment; but our old friend tarried a long time in his harem. At last, just as the sun was gilding the top of the fir tree, he came flying with a heavy rushing sound, and settled, not in the tall fir tree above us, but in the crestless fir, which was leaning over the bog. It was truly a splendid bird — a noble animal — as it sat there against the sky on the naked branch, with its shining, bright green breast glittering in the sunlight. A hen now came flying and settled in the tree above our heads. At this moment the cock began to play; he stuck out his beard, trailed his wings down by his legs, and made, with great solemnity and wavelike motions of his neck, a few steps forward on the branch, while he stuck up his tail and spread it out like a big wheel. I was waiting with my finger on the trigger for the decisive moment when he would spread out his wings for flight, and thereby give me a much larger target, at which I at this long distance could make a surer shot. But while the hen continued her cackle he finished his first play, and had commenced the gobble of his second, when a twig cracked beneath my feet. The hen uttered a sharp warning cry, but our old friend was in such an ecstasy, that he took no notice of her well-meant warning, and was finishing his love-song, when his faithful mistress flew straight at him, apparently with the intention of pushing him off the branch. This recalled him to his senses, and he spread his wings out to take flight; but my gun was up, and the mighty bird fell head foremost down on the bog. It was an easy death; he only flapped his wings once or twice.

Peter ran and seized the bird. A look of surprise lighted up his face, but this soon gave way to a pleased and admiring grin.

He shook his head and said:

"I shouldn't have believed it, even if the captain had told me himself, for this is the right bird; I know him by his bill — such a