Vol. XIX 

 1902 J 



I Goldman, /« Search of a New Turkey. ^^t* 



I was very glad to see him, for it was difficult work, and even with 

 our combined skill in trailing we made slow progress. Sometimes 

 we had no trouble for several hundred yards, then suddenly we 

 came to places where the birds had paused to feed and found they 

 had wandered about in all directions scratching among the leaves. 

 At such places the trail became so involved that it was diffi- 

 cult to find the direction taken when the birds left. When we 

 came to hard or stony places a few misplaced leaves or an 

 overturned stone or stick were the only things to guide us. 

 Where the trail became dim one of us usually went a trifle to the 

 right and the other to the left so that unless the flock changed its 

 course abruptly one or the other was pretty sure to find some signs 

 every few yards. Occasionally we lost the trail altogether and had 

 to go ahead and ' cut for tracks' in softer ground. For awhile the 

 course followed was very crooked and several times it even doubled 

 back and crossed itself, but late in the afternoon it became evident 

 that the flock was working toward a branch of Clear Creek 

 Canon. Shortly before sunset the trail became so fresh that we 

 kept a sharper lookout ahead, expecting to sight the flock at every 

 moment. It was still proceeding in a leisurely manner, as was 

 plainly shown by the number of places where birds had paused to 

 scratch out deep pits in search for food. At sunset we were quite 

 close to the caiion and I began to fear they would be able to roost 

 before we could overtake them. With the idea that I could hear 

 for a considerable distance the heavy wing strokes they would 

 make in rising to the roost, I decided to go ahead and listen, 

 leaving my companion to follow the trail as best he could. I had 

 only advanced about two hundred yards to some higher ground 

 when I suddenly saw the flock only about forty yards to my left. 

 The birds had not seen me and were walking quietly along in 

 single file, following a course directly parallel to the one I had 

 taken. They presented a fine sight and I was strongly tempted to 

 shoot, but on second thought decided to follow them until they 

 roosted. Moving quickly out of sight into a small arroyo, I ran 

 back a short distance and gave a low whistle, when my companion 

 soon overtook me. Together we followed the birds, using great 

 care not to show ourselves. Food had ceased to interest them, and 

 they were evidently looking for a place to roost. They continued 



