100 CAMP-FIRES OF A NATURALIST. 



while Dyche and Buckskin Joe took the opposite 

 direction. While working along through the patches 

 of scrub-oak and over sand ridges, the latter two sud- 

 denly came upon a flock of about seventy-five turkeys. 

 Joe at once put spurs to his horse and rode after 

 them. Dyche was compelled to follow, and after a 

 chase of about two hundred yards they were almost 

 on the turkeys. They jumped from their horses, but 

 before they could get their guns ready the turkeys 

 disappeared over a hill. The race was repeated with 

 the same success several times. At last Joe shot 

 from his horse, and the flock flew and sailed out of 

 sight over the thicket of oak bushes. A query from 

 Dyche elicited the answer that this was one of the 

 chief ways of hunting wild turkeys among the cow- 

 boys. 



A mile further they came upon three deer feeding, 

 and were within seventy-five yards of them when 

 they were seen. Without waiting for the man whom 

 he was engaged to guide, Joe jumped from his saddle 

 and pumped bullets after the deer as fast as he could 

 work the lever of his Winchester. The deer disap- 

 peared over the hill, but Joe affirmed that he had 

 shot one through behind the shoulders, while he had 

 hit another twice as it was going over the hill. 

 Tying the horses to a swinging limb the trail of the 

 deer was followed, but no sign of blood or a wounded 

 animal was to be found. 



The day was cold, but the unusual exercise of walk- 

 ing heated Joe to such an extent that he took off his 

 overcoat and hung it to a tree. Half a mile further on 

 he discarded his chaperellos, or leggings, and hung 



