Page:Round the Yule Log.djvu/97

Rh himself as fine and haughty as a Spanish count. All at once he stuck his tail up and spread it out like a fan, swept the ground with his wings, and jumped right up in the air as high as this. Well, I didn't know it was that fellow, else I would have had a shot at him at once, before he had time to make himself shot-proof, but I thought it was great fun to watch him. But while he was in the middle of the play, another cock, a big one, though not quite as big as the old one, came sweeping down and wanted to join in the play. Then came the real fun! The old one stuck up his tail, and his beard stuck out like the teeth in a carding-comb; he snapped and grated his beak, till he set my teeth on edge, — and the new comer, he answered the challenge. He was a bold one to be sure. But then our old friend rushed at him, and when their beaks and wings met, the crash sounded all over the wood. The next moment they jumped up at each other and fought with their beaks, their wings, and their claws, and they were so wicked that they nearly lost all sense and feeling, and I thought I could almost walk up and catch them both with my hands. But at last the old cock got hold of the other by the nape of the neck and beat him and knocked him about in such a way till I fancied I heard him squeak. I couldn't help pitying the poor bird, who was being lugged about by the top of his head in this way. The old one crushed him to the ground and kept him under him till he almost came sliding out over the hillside on top of him, close to where I was standing. Then I put up my gun in an instant. There was a report, and the strange bird lay dead on the spot, but the old one stuck to him and kept pulling at him; he did not even move his wings. Aha! I thought, if you are so sure in your hold, you shall soon be mine! I loaded again and was just going to take aim at him, when he gave himself a shake and flew straight up in the air. If he was further than ten steps from me, may I never in my life shoot a bird again.

"Another time I was up here and heard, just like to-night, where he went to roost in an old fir-tree. I went out early in the morning long before there was a bird awake in the woods. But when he commenced playing, he did it properly that time. He