Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1890-03-19
MEDICINE LODGE. KANSAS, 8

the TWO young hunters as Iney puSneQ
their way through them.
''Listen!'' suddenly exclaimed James.
"Wasn't that the old gobbler?'
81 heard something" replied George,
resting his gun on the ground; but
don't know what it was"
There it goes again." whispered
James.
''It must be turkey. Blow on your
fiddle"
A horrible grating noise soon echoed
in the forest, silencing the song OF the
birds around. 1t had the harsh, waver-
ing and unevenlY modulated gobble of
the wild turkey. The two young hunt
ers crouched down behind a clump of
palmettoes as James made the noise.
In q short time there was a responsive
gobble from distant part of the hon.
mock
The old gobbler is getting mad"
whispered George. He thinks another
gobbler is trying to call his flock away
from him"
James kept up the noise, answering
the old gobbler in defiant outburstA
The old male bird was apparently draw
ing nearer, for his gobble sounded plain
OL anu 4O0bOA CNCA1 AAAUVC.
! In short time there was a 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 dozen turkeys
/ were with him.
! 'Now 6rei" whispered James, sudden
ly ceasing his din with the fiddle.
] George raised the old fowling-piece to
his shoulder, took quick al m and fred.
The old gobbler gave a sudden spring
and uttered 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 run after his game.
/ One turkey was killed outright, and
! another one wounded. James seized
this one, while George started in hot
pursuit after the old gobbler, which was
also severely wounded.
The gobbler, however, was not to be
caught SO easily. Although wounded in
the wing and side, the big bird could
get through the bushes about as fast as
the boys.
1t was evidently going to be a long
| chase; but the boys were so excited they
did not mind that. They were bound
to have that old turkey.
Suddenly the gobbler broke through
| the dense glades and ran out on strip
of land that projected thirty or forty
feet out into deep lagoon. The old
bird seemed to be cornered then.
But, no; with sudden spring and a
heavy futter 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 usp
shouted George.
'Look, lookr' screamed James, in his
excitement; ''a 'gatorr'
Sure enough, big alligator had been
summing itself near the island, and as
soon as the gobbler sought refuge on
/! the island it's wicked eyes winked and
blinked knowingly.
The wounded bird was unconscious of
the presence of another living creature
on its island of refuge.
The alligator was close to the turkey,
and after raising its head stealthily, it
took a sudden dive toward it and seized
the gobbler in its huge jaws.
The boys felt about as bad as the COB
bier did as the big "'gator" quietly
made meal off their game.
''If we only had the gun here I'd have
that rascals hide!" ruefully exclaimed
George. my! but isn't he big fellow?
1 don't want him to get hold of me-"
''But what's that noise behind us?'' sud-
denly inquired James, looking fearfully
around.
"a rattler! a rattler" the two ex-
claimed almost in breath.
In following the turkey the boys had
disturbed a big rattlesnake from its
sleep, but they were so intent on pursu-
ing their game that they had not heard
the ominous rattle.
The snake was now coiled up about
thirty feet away, swinging his head
from side to side in threatening man
ner.
isn't he whopper?" said George,
fearfully. "And he's right in our path,
too. We can't get back to the main
land without running across him."
eve can't swim around him, either,
for there's that big gator" whispered
James. "What'll we do. any howP'
Indeed. that was . serious question
with the boys now. They were actually
penned in by a rattlesnake on one side
and big alligator on the other.
Neither reptile would attack them if
they remained quiet, bpt that meant
that they had to stay there until either
the snake or the alligator got tired of re-
naming in one spot.
1t was queer and dangerous trap
into which they had got caught The
neck of land on which they stood was
! narrow, low and damp, and the boys
could not sit down and rest themselves.
The rattler remained in its defiant DO
sition, watching the twolads sharply.
The alligator, after eating the turkey,
quietly closed its eyes and apparently
went to sleep.
May be we can escape this way and
the old fellow won't bother u.s. said
James.
He stepped into the water, but his
foot had no sooner touched bottom than
the huge "'gator" opened its eyes and
made motion to enter the water, too
1T won't do, James-it won't do
He'll snap you up in no time"
1t was evident that the boys could not
escape by the water side, and then they
turned their attention to the snake.
They looked around for some big
chunk of wood to throw at the reptile,
but there wasn't piece large enough
near them.
''We'll have to wait until he gets
ready togo. that's all, said James, de-
cidedly. 1T won't do to make him
angry"
And that was the only conclusion that
the boys could come to, and they both
remained quiet for long time after,
first resting on one leg and then on the
other. Their feet were wet and they
felt very uncomfortable. The rattler,