The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1890-03-14

~
Hook Of wild turkeys.
~ the edge Of tho hommocL A.. ,wo
boys met about ten minutes later.
''orge Was struggling under tho heavy
'oaa ora big. muzzle-loading shotgun.
while james held the orn-fiddle in his
hand ready TO play on Il.
They roost somewhere over this
way said James, pointing with his
nhger 70 : dense part OF the low hom-
mock. We must get around on the
other side and then call them 10 us.-
We'll, you lead the way and III fol-
low. This gun Is SO heavy that cant
get along very fast"
a Florida hommock Is not a vcrv
pleasant place to work your way through.
and the boys made slow work 81 Il. The
tropical luxuriance OF the vegetation
closed up every avenue as soon as II was
made and the boys could not see their
v path behind them a dozen feet.
The ground was soft and boggy, and in
places the saw-palmettoes wcres SO plen-
tifnl that they scratched the hands OF
the two young hunters as they pushed
their way through them.
Listen" suddenly exclaimed James.
Wasn't that the old gobblcr?"
II heard something" replied GEORGE.
resting his y on the ground; but /
don't know what it was"
There II goes again. whispered
James.
~ must be a turkey. Blow on your
fddlc.r
a horrible grating noise soon echoed
In the forest, silencing the song OF the
birds around. 1t had the harsh. wavcr-
ing and ~uncyenly modulatcd gobble OF
the wild turkey. The TWO young hunt
ers cronched down behind a clump Of
palmettoes as James made the noise.
In q short time there was a responsive
gobble from a distant part Of the HON.
mock.
The old gobbler is getting mad
whispered George. ''He thinks another
gobbler is trying 10 call his flock away
from him"
James kept up the noise. answering
the old gobbler in defiant ~outburstx
The old male bird was apparently draw
ing nearer. for his gobble sounded plain
er and louder every minute.
In a short time there was q cracking
OF sticks and dead leaves, and then out
OF an adjacent clump OF palmettoes the
red head Of the big turkey gobbler sud
denly appeared. Half a dozen turkeys
were with him.
Now fire." whispered James. sudden
~ ceasing his din with the fiddle.
George raised the old towing piece TO
his shoulder. took a quick al M and fired.
The old gobbler gave a sudden spring
and uttered a loud shrek, and then dis
appeared in the bushes.
without waiting to see the result Of
his first shot George aimed the second
barrel at the flock OF astonished tur-
keys. Then. dropping his piece. he
started on a run after his game.
One turkey was killed outright. and
one wounded. James seized
this one. while George started in hot
pursuit after h old gobbler, which was
also severely wounded
The gobbler. however, was not to be
caught 50 easily. Although wounded in
the wing and side. the big bird could
get through the bushes about As fast a.
the boys
II was evidently going to be . long
chase; but the boys were so excited they
not mind that. They were bound
to have that old turkey.
Suddenly the gobblcr broke through
the dense glades and ran out on a strip |
Of land that projected thirty or forty
feet out into a deep lagoon The old
bird seemed 70 be cornered then.
But. no; with a sudden spring and a
heavy nuttcr Of the wings, he managed
to get across the water TO a small island
Of cypress trees about forty feet distant |
''Oh. dear, he's got away from us.'
George.
Look. look," screamed James. in his
excitement; "a gator"
Sure enough. a big alligator had been
itself near the island, and as
soon as the gobblcr sought refuge on
island its wicked eyes winked and
blinkcd knowingly.
The wounded bird was unconscious Of
the presence OF another living creature
on its island Of refuge.
The alligator was close 10 the turkey.
after raising its head stcalthily. il
took a sudden dive toward il and seized
the gobbler in its huge jaws.
The boys felt about IS bad as the Cob
bier did as the big s''gator" quietly
made a meal of their game.
III we only had the gun here Id have
hat rascal's hide." rucfully exclaimed
my. but isn't he a big fellow?
don't want him TO get hold Of me"
but what's that noise behind u.s." sud-
inquired James, looking fcarfully
"A RATHER. a rattlcr.- tho two ex-
'laimed almost in a breath.
In following the turkey the boys had
disturbed a big r~attlesnakc from its
'lecp, but they were so intent on pursu-
ng their game that they had not heard
he ominous rattle.
The snake was now coiled up about
hirty feet away, swinging his head
side TO side in q threatening man
isn't he a ~whoppcr?' said George,
earthly. "And he's right IN our path.
90. We can't get back TO the mains
and without running across him.
1--WE can't swim around him. either.
Or there's that big gator" whispered