WILD TURKEYS, WILDCATS, ETC. 103 



through the bushes, and now and then he had 

 glimpses of white-tailed deer. Golden eagles were 

 sailing above, and quails and prairie-chickens were 

 flushed in innumerable coveys. Finally a bunch of 

 twenty-five turkeys was seen running over a hill, 

 and a circuitous route was taken to head them off. A 

 careful stalk placed him within forty yards of three 

 of the birds which were scratching on a knoll, when 

 the warning " pit, pit " told him he had been seen. A 

 load of shot brought down a fine gobbler, weighing 

 eighteen and a half pounds. As this was Dyche's 

 first turkey and was a load of itself, the hunter was 

 satisfied and immediately returned to the ranch. 



Approaching the ranch, he heard a fusillade which 

 sounded as if a battle was in progress. Thirty or forty 

 shots were fired within fifteen minutes, and the men 

 were evidently working their Winchesters as rapidly 

 as possible. Cimarron Jim, who was cooking, had 

 left his fire and was saddling his horse, while the others 

 were not to be seen. Dyche and Jim were soon in 

 the saddle and going in the direction of the sound. 

 At the head of a ravine were the two other cowboys, 

 riding and shooting. Jim rode straight for the 

 scene, while Dyche circled around the head of the 

 ravine, which he reached just in time to see a large 

 wildcat emerge from the brush and start across the 

 open space. Putting spurs to his horse, Dyche 

 headed the animal off and started it in another direc- 

 tion, towards the timber. Again riding around it he 

 drove it back, and while thus keeping it in the open- 

 ing the cowboys on the other side of the ridge were 

 almost splitting their throats yelling. Finally the 



