A NEW HUNTING EXCURSION. 107 



they had perched in, they had so hidden amongst the 

 branches that there was not a trace of them to be seen. 

 I therefore whistled for my dog, and hid behind a tree, 

 to await the time when they would think themselves 

 safe, and begin to call. I had not long to wait ; ere long 

 they began to cry, and about a hundred yards in front 

 of me, a large cock raised himself on a branch, where 

 he had nestled without my perceiving him. Without 

 trying to get nearer, I took aim at once, and hit the tur- 

 key, which fell flapping from the tree ; but the bushes 

 were so thick that I should have last him, had not 

 Bearsgrease dashed in with the greatest intrepidity, in 

 spite of thorns and creepers. The turkey, whose fall 

 had been broken by the wild vines, had no sooner 

 touched the ground, than he made a quick rim for a 

 cane-break, and disappeared, with Bearsgrease bounding 

 and barking on his trail. On forcing my way through 

 the canes, I witnessed an interesting struggle between 

 the two. The dog was still young, and the turkey a 

 fellow of twenty or twenty-two pounds, and Bearsgrease, 

 knowing that he must not injure him, tried to hold him 

 with his fore paws, whilst the turkey, which was only 

 wounded in the left wing, constantly succeeded in es- 

 caping, and running a yard or two before the dog could 

 pin him again. After watching them for some time, I 

 put an end to the struggle by cutting off the turkey's 

 head with my knife, and carried him home. I then sad- 

 dled Slowtrap's old pony, and set off over the mountain, 

 to gain Collmar's house before night, leaving Bears- 

 grease behind me. 



The hills and rivers south of the Arkansas, almost all 



