1 66 HUNTING TRIPS 



hour, as we looked through the tree-tops, 

 we could make out against the light back- 

 ground of the sky, almost as clearly as by 

 day, the sleeping victims of our guns and 

 rifles. A low soft whistle was passed along 

 from man to man; and the signal given, 

 how different the scene became ! A deafen- 

 ing report suddenly rang out into the silent 

 night, a flash of light belched from the gun 

 muzzle, and a heavy thud followed as 

 twenty pounds of turkey struck the ground. 

 In our silent moccasins we flitted about 

 under the roost, and report after report on 

 all sides told how good the sport was and 

 how excellent the chance that the boys at 

 McKavett would have plenty of turkeys at 

 their Christmas dinner. The turkeys were 

 so surprised by the sudden noise, so entirely 

 unprepared for the visit of the sportsman 

 to their secluded retreat, that they did not 

 know what to make of it, often remaining 

 stupidly on their branch after a companion 

 five feet off had been shot down. With 

 the last bird shot or flown away ended our 



