The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-11-28
THE ADVERTISERS DAILY SHORT STORY

'.It's all gulf! I don't know what I've got to be thankful for! Thanksgiving Days a fake! Them's my sennments!
 So blurted out vigorously Mr., Hank group who was lounging about in big log cabin in the foothills. It was min ing camp Not hundred yards away was the shaft. and not another hundred yards farther. the fringe of the ragged forest which covered the ascendins slopes. The mine was paying reasonably well, and those who labored in 1t were in normally good humor on this. the eve of Thanksgiving Day. The one exception was Hank Durkin. but he was not a miner, and his condition in his owr mind. at least. more than Justified the assertion he had just made. He was g professional runner, a rough, not alto' gether bad sort of character, who wan ted himself against any champion whom the sport-loving miners in the large camps might pit against him. He gen. orally won the purse and generally had he had come to this little camp expecting to hnd brother-in-law whom he learn ed was absent-he found himself strand ed. penniless and only moderately vel come among group who were working hard and with whom food was costly and never too abundant. They extended the somewhat forced hospitality with a decent grace, though, and Durkin was sure at least of his Thanksgiving dinner
 Great preparations had been made for the dinner-of course within the limita- tons of bacon, flour and canned goods but the promise, taken all in all, was ex- cellent. The feast of the next day with it's bounteousness and Its associations was looked forward to with simple in terest by the workers, and the details of the affair were under discussion at the moment of Durkin's outbreak.
 No attention was paid to the fnterrup- ton, the men having a sort of pity for the hapIess guest and the discussion went
 ''AIl we lack is something in the way of fresh meat" said one, T saw a flock of turkeys up in the scrub a week oI two ago. and they'd no more than lifted themselves up jumped deeri Biazes but wouldn't like to put my teeth into turkey or venison tomorrow"
 Well, we can't put our teeth into snos and np gss dc presy me sae how. guess. It's what I call a goot
 Bedtime came and the cabin resounded with the usual nightly chorus of stento- the only man who did not sleep well. He tossed about, growing mentally at hi. trait, and at four in the morning was wide awake.
 recurred to him: "Turkey" he growled T wish I were home in the East where turkey would be sure. Blast this coun- try!'
 Then wild idea came to him. There were turkeys in the region. Might he not. possibly, get one or two? What 8 thing 1t would be, not merely as a mag. nihcent addition to the dinner, but as affecting his status with his hosts. H. not only thought, but acted. Dressing himself quietly, he took down one oi several Winchesters the camp afforded put on the accompanying cartridge bell and slipped out into the light of morn ing. Five minutes later he was stealing quietly up a wooded canyon which de bouched almost in front of the cabin.
 For mile he ascended silently, witf every sense on the alert. but nothing could he see or hear. There were deel further indication of hair or feather The hunter was beginning to jeer at him self for coming on a foolish tramp wher at last the silence was broken; there wa! a shifting and scratching in the midst o a clump. of scrub oak trees. and, thougf intervening bushes hid them from hi! sight, Durkin knew that wild turkey. were feeding on the fallen acorns. H. creps cautiously forward and there, s near him that he could not miss, wa. ones! Durkin was a good shot. but i was almost trembling that he glanced through the sights at the biggest gob bier of the lot and fired. The gobblel Acils SCdICSiS uulbclAiSs titc TchIdihoCT O the flock burst from the oak clump anC ran like the wind for few yards be fore taking flight. In that moment Dur kin fired again and one of the lot la. Hopping on the ground as the rest rose 1T the tumult and sailed off toward thu denser timber. Two large wild turkey secured! Durlxin whooped, tied the leg of the big birds together, threw then over his shoulder and began the trudg' back to camp.
 Though snow was deep in the noun tains. the canyon was wind-swept iron the valley and almost bare. Walking was easy along the trail-worn by wilt beasts and Indians in the past-and Dur kin made good time. Soon he was with in an eighth of a mile of the camp which in the clear atmosphere, seemed mucl nearer and where he could discern thu men moving about and even hear theil voices. A group of them he could se were looking at and pointing towart him. He hoped they could not see th' tlirkekys. He wanted to surprise them.
 But that was not to happen just yet Durkin had just passed a clump of will lows when there came to his ear th' sound of a slight "thump." "thump, from the wood on one side above him.
 He dropped his turkeys instinctively and stood with ready gun. A momen later deer bounded into sight at th'