The Red Cloud chief., 1910-11-24

Of #e SEASON

lutHdECIlp, NHtn ne also Ulcl his /
end from a far different adversary.
This was gamocock OF some In
dian breed the most blackguardly
looking fowl | have ever set eyes
upon, with bectllng eyebrows,
bulldog type OF beak and pillar.like
legs. his athletic proportions set OF
by very tight.htting plumagc. How.
ever. he was only fowl, thought
the two turkeys. and with Oriental
Indifference 10 the rules of fair play
they both set out to tackle him to
gethCr. The GamCcoCk acquitted
himself in manner worthy OF his
breed, and bowlcd them over with
one blow apiece Perhaps his natu'
raj magnanimity for chantiClCCr is
seldom anything but gentleman
made him lcnicnt with the hen; at
any rate, sho was only knocked
silly But he gave her husband n
fair knockout blow; gripping his
wattlo with the bulldog bill, no
brought the Columnur shanks down
on tho bulky advcrsary's neck with
such force that, when saw the de-
fCatcd bully he was sitting In n
state OF paralytic collapse, and not
long after ingloriously expired.
Such ig the part tho turkey plays
ns tame hird-a prctcntious and
pushing person who occasionally col.
lapses ignominiously Nor are his
aspect and career as Wild bird
different. for he IS ono OF the few
creatures which have altered very
little In domestication and though
he may be regarded us the premier
bird OF America, and gains Ger.
tain amount OF dignity and consid.
Grafton thereby. there is "A comic
element in his performances and
m!sfortuncs which robs him of tho
dignity Of the featherod mobiles OF
the older world. The blackguardly
tendencies which, seen In domcsu-
cation, have caused some people to
suggest that he Is called n turkey
because he behaves like the proven
hlal unspcakable Turk. arc In full
swing in his wild ancestor, who Is
altogether born In sin. His wife or
wives-for he Is an inveterate polyg-
amist, even In his primitive condi.
tion-have TO keep their infant
poults out OF his way, or he will
crack their little heads for them
and when he conquers and Stays a
rival gobbler, no tramplcs him when
he Is down and done for. His court
ship Is every bit as absurd in the
wilds as 1t Is in the farmyard, and
ancient turkey dowagers emulate
his absurdities in strutting to win
his regard, though the pullets main
tain a proper modesty Of demeanor
Moreover. the willy hunter brings
about his downfall In ways which
make him look undlgnifed-no other
bird is lured to his end in such
queerly discreditable ways.
One is to call him up within shot
by initiating the voice OF her he
loves for the time being. On a small
pipe, often made of q turkoy's OWL
drumstick bone, the sportsman imi
tates what he ungallantly calls the
"yelp" OF the hen turkey. and the
infatuated gobbler. lured by the soft
Invitation, is often decoyed within
range. To his credit be It said, how
ever, he displays a fine ear. and Il
he detects anything suspiciously In
sincere In the accents OF the con
cealed charmer It will be a clever
fmpersonator who gets him to an
swer another matrimonial advertise
ment for that season at all events
Another plan Is the turkey trap
which is a pen made Of logs and en-
tered by trench. across whicl
there is a bridge Just inside the en-
trance. A train of corn leads tn
, this. and when they are inside an