In short, Monsieur Duchemin considered convalescence at the Chateau de Montalais one of the most agreeable of human estates, and counted the cost of admission thereunto by no means dear; and with all his grousing (in respect of which he was conscientious, holding it at once a duty and a perquisite of his disability) he was at heart in no haste whatever to be discharged as whole and hale.

But soon they settled down to do their job, to take trouble over their work rather than make trouble by grousing over it.

The patrol in the thick bush that was so dangerous, fetching water, quick to build fires and make tea, ready to help a lame fellow with his equipment, always cheery, never grousing, they lived the life of our Lord instead of preaching about it.

Here was a N.C.O., a real good fellow too, who could give an order and point a moral without the use of a blistering oath; a man who was a man, cool under fire, ready for any dangerous venture, cheerful always, never grousing, always generous and open as a soldier should be, never preaching, never openly praying, never asking men to do what he would not do himself.

Steady, Alf, what are you grousing about?

No, you wouldn't find me grousing if I were a male newt.

As a matter of fact Betty, the heroine, is quite a dear, and the narrator, Major Meredyth, a maimed hero of the Boer War, who looks at this one from the tragic angle of an invalid chair, is, apart from a habit of petulant and not very profound grousing at Governments in The Daily Rail manner, a sport who thoroughly deserves the reward of poor widowed Betty's hand on the last page but one.

"He hasn't got a chance with all you people grousing and croaking round him.

Don't let him go grousing about by himself.

And he's a wonder with the men, jollies 'em along when they are grousing or homesick, sets 'em grinning from ear to ear when they are down-hearted, has a pat on the shoulder for this one and a jeer for that one.

But, much more than that, he seems to have exactly realised the sort of man Old Bill probably is in real lifeslow-speaking and stolid in manner, yet with a vein of common-sense underlying his apparent stupidity; much addicted to beer and other liquids, but not brutalized thereby; and, while often grousing and grumbling, nevertheless possessed almost unconsciously of a strong sense of duty and an undaunted determination to see it through.

One was grousing to his mate, and the other said to him: "If you know a better 'ole go 'ide in it!"

" Second A.B. "WHAT ARE YOU GROUSING ABOUT NOW?"

They "stuck it," gamely, without grousing, without swanking, without any other thought than suffering all the hardships and all the thrills of war like men who know the gravity of the game, and the risks, and the duty to which they have pledged themselves.

I also like wild gameRuffed Grouse particularly; but I eat rabbits and rats enough too, I warrant you.

"If any one should ask you which are the most famous American game birds, you may answer without hesitation, 'Bob White, Ruffed Grouse, and Woodcock'the whistler, the drummer, and the sky dancerall three good Citizens and handsome, interesting birds.

"The Ruffed Grouse is also a bird of woods and brushy places, but at all seasons is more fond of trees than Bob White.

In early May this Grouse mounts a fallen tree, or the rail of an old fence, and swells his breast proudly till the long feathers on each side of his neck rise into a beautiful shining black ruffle or tippet, such as you can see in some old-fashioned portraits of the times when Elizabeth was queen of England.

"Thus does the Ruffed Grouse drum up his mate, as the Woodpecker hammers or the Thrush sings.

Father Grouse then becomes selfish and takes himself off with some men friends, leaving mamma alone to hatch the eggs and feed the babies.

"The young Grouse stay with their parents until they are old enough to choose mates for themselves; but the flocks are never as large as the covey Bob White musters about him.

FAMILY OF GROUSE FAMILY

Ruffed Grouse Bona'sa umbel'lus.

Grousing is one of Tommy's privileges.

When they got to grousing worst on the retreat from Mons, their officers knew that what they really wanted was to make another stand.