292 The Turkey Family 



the whistle of the approaching train sounded. 

 However, there was the train, and I had to take 

 it, so I placed my gun in a seat and returned to 

 the platform, hoping against hope. The wheels 

 began to turn, and still no sign of the turkey 

 or either party to what was now easily recogniz- 

 able as a steal. I was hot clear through, and was 

 just on the point of jumping off and hunting satis- 

 faction, when through the dusk I saw a running 

 figure carrying a turkey and making for the cross- 

 ing some distance ahead. 



" Bright fellow, that ; he's been delayed a bit 

 and has taken the one chance left," was my 

 thought as I twisted a leg through the railing, 

 for one had best be secure even on a slowly mov- 

 ing train. He had his eye on me and he timed 

 himself to a hair. As the train slid past, gain- 

 ing speed every instant, he swung the turkey and 

 let it go. It came into my face like a cannon- 

 ball inside of a feather pillow, and had I not been 

 firmly fixed, it might have knocked me clear 

 across the platform. However, it was securely 

 held, and I took it inside, intending to gloat over 

 it all the way home. 



Somehow it felt very stiff and hard. Under 

 the lights, while the train was running twenty- 

 five miles an hour, it turned out to be a tame 

 bird that had been dead and frozen for about a 

 week! The whole game was at once apparent. 



