43 AMERICAN GAME BIRD SSOOTING. 



"Because I never like to double-bank anything, let 

 alone a poor turkey. '' 



" A nice excuse that." 



"Never mind, my boy, you scared him badly enough 

 to make him run away, whereas I thought you would 

 leg it on seeing him." 



" I'm much obliged to you for your good opinion, but 

 you need not express it, for I think I scared him to 

 death." 



" If he saw your face you might have done so; but he 

 didn't — so you needn't imagine you did." 



"I'm going to see about the matter, anyhow," said I, 

 in a mock serious tone, for I had an idea I could not 

 liavc missed with both barrels; so I left the blind, and 

 started for the tliicket, gun in iiand, telling him to wait 

 until I returned. 



" Oh, I'm going with you," said he; "else you may 

 go to the next farm-house and buy a gobbler, and, after 

 shooting him, impose him on me as the old original." 



"The most suspicious people are always the worst," I 

 replied, in the gravest manner, "and I think you are an 

 old sinner." 



" I know I'm not a saint," he answered; " if I were, I 

 wouldn't be shooting turkeys in the wilds of Florida." 



When Ave reached the position where the turkey first 

 stood, I saw some feathers there, and this induced me to 

 indulge in some boasting at my friend's expense, but he 

 insisted that the gobbler had plucked them out himself, 

 in order to deceive me. 



"Oh, you incorrigible!" I replied, "how you do like 

 to discourage people ! " 



" You may not believe it, but it's a fact, neverthe- 

 less," he replied. "I have stuffed two beds with what 

 feathers I shot out of him, and I think more than a 

 dozen others have done the same, but still we can't kill 

 him. He is enchanted, I tell you, and can't be bagged by 



