The Washington herald., 1907-11-24

bachelor" G0bbler Gets Away
Two hours later, not having seen a
thing. I came to a clearing In the woods, /
with an old foundation marking the site |
OF former house With my gun over |
my shoulder / approached the ruins. out /
OF mere curiosity, when a streak of black |
darted from beside a fallen stone and |
was gone before l could think. That a
wild turkey would be summing and dust |
ing himself beside the ruins was the last |
thing on earth had expected Where his
mates were never knew; hunted for an
hour, but could find no trace. and 1 have |
always thought il was whipped bird
that had been driven from a flock and
failed in forming one Of his own. One
finds such birds at times, and they are
fine ones, too. but they have the cunning
of dozen birds beneath their feathers.
Thursday morning dawned with a fine
mist falling and a heavy fog hanging
low over everything. We lost our way IN
the woods, and II was some time after
daylight when we reached our destination.
Presently / heard Billy shoot. but there
wasn't any shooting In my locality. and
began 10 feel mighty sore and disconso-
late. Then / saw Billy coming down a
hillside, and sticking in his cap was a
turkey feather. I knew the rest before
reached hin-knew It before he gave
one tremendous whoop. and. lying down
on his back, kicked his heels in the air.
Just Knocked Il Over.
And when he led me to the hilltop and
showed me the splendid gobbler lying in
state on his bed Of. leaves. Billys cup
Of happiness was full. While he was
seated on a log. partially concealed be-
hind some smilax. a troup OF seven tur-
keys had walked demurely down the hill
side directly behind him, and he had
merely turned and knocked over the finest
gobbler in the bunch "Oh, it's easy,
he said. with a lofty show OF superiority.
Yes, very said I. very meekly.
Scarcely were the words out OF my
mouth when d gobbler sounded from the
| laurel thicket, just above US. 1 grabbed
my gun and started for the top OF the
hill. reaching il just in time TO see a tur-
key glide past an open space. Standing
/ still, ! saw three more pass the same
spot. Thinking that possibly quick run
would take me within range, I made
/ dash for the opening. Then one Of those
/ unexpected things that are wont 10 hap
pen in the hunting field occurred and
/ turned the tide Of fortune for the scribe.
A gobler, on hearing me- made the mis-
take OF his life and flushed instead or
! running. ] led him about foot and cut
/ loose, and down he came-my first turkey
shot through the neck con the wing
/ IN a fair, open hunt Maybe that isn't
ample pay for all the disappointments
and all the work. and maybe Billy and
! didn't hold a pow-wow right then and
there. and maybe these proud men didn' I
rr-lNlr Haa.r. .-f~E.
pound gobbler over his back. vowing he
| was having the hunt of his life. All
the past was forgotten. and we thought
I only OF the remaining days OF our hunt.
and what we were going 10 do We hired
a farmers rig and took our birds straight
home, and locked them UP In the meat
house. and put IN the rest OF the day
hunting squirrels.
Friday morning II rained again Each
or us now was a mighty hunter Nn our
estimatiousl. and scOrned the compan-
lonship OF others We separated at the
house Billy going to a place he had
found the day before. George heading
Tor a roost, and the writer cutting into
the wood sat random. Billy came in
with a small hen turkey he had killed
on the edge Of a corn field. We chaffed
him for shooting somebody's tame tur-
key. but he had the bulge on US. and
knew II. You can't bluff Billy when he
can produce the goods.
Last Day Renews Luck.
Saturday was our last chance. and IT
fell TO the scribe 10 score. All night long
the wind had been blowing a gale and
by morning the leaves were pretty thor
oughly died out-so much so that Il was
impossible 70 go anywhere without max
ing more or less noise. I had uncon-
sciously worked over toward the Retreat
and was In the bottom Of a ravine seated
on a high rail fence that crossed the
stream diagonally. I became aware OF a
scratching behind me and across tn,
creek. II didn't sound Ike squirrels, and
moreover. u changed its location every
few moments. Getting the fence be
tween me and the creek ] worked care
fully along until as near the scratching
as possble-and waited. Presently the
noise was repeated. then flop. flop, flop
a magnificent turkey sailed across tht
creek and pumped down square in front
OF me. just behind a smilaX bush II
less time than II takes 20 tell Il he had
stepped out into the open not twenty
yards OF. and-wen. the rest is one Of my
best campfire stories. one barrel LAID
i him on his back. and just as I stopped
Z
, the bush. with me after him. He was
so badly hurt that I hated to shoot hin
a second time. but ten yards brought u:
, to the creek. into which he plunged. witt
! me reaching for his tail feathers as h'
, went over the bank. I couldn't stop;
> went over the bank. too. into three fee
: Of iCe-COld water, and when ] regaine,
my feet there was my turkey. floating
! rapidly down stream and Just about L
4 crawl out on the other side. That wa!
, too much for me. so l pulled the othe,
barrel and wound up his career.
a George In at the Death.
= II was hard to tell which was the mos
!. thoroughly soaked. but I think the odd
were in my favor. A hearty "Haw. haw
. haw'' caused me 10 look up. and Their
. stood George. trying 10 keep tree from
- falling over and holding both sides.
?. Why didn't you put salt on his trail?
!. he demanded.
. "'Fraid the water would wash it OF,
4 said l.
We'll. the water washed something of
Come out Of that
Silently I waded ashore. pulling m
+ prize after me.
i Say. George" said I. when you wan
d any turkeys killed drive EN- over m
j, I way.
. When ! want EN- drowned. you mean,
/ TetOrted he.
q That night we killed our game all owe
e again, and next day the old Arrowsmit
{ steamed ciIyward with four grand tur
y keys, thirty-two squirrels, a bunch Q
& miscellaneous game, and two contente
men, who had had the best Thanksgivin
hunt OF their lives.
n DETrT1SnDE noon1rcr nrADurr