TURKEYS. 31 



steps behind. Look among the trees, and see if you 

 can't find the crafty ones." 



So it was. The turkeys had perched among the 

 low branches of the thicket and were grouped up 

 together, like fowls in a coop. They were all snug- 

 gled up, with their heads drawn down between their 

 shoulders, as if waiting for the danger to pass by. 

 The two dogs dashed into the covert, and appa- 

 rently forgetting their education as pointers, endea- 

 voured to drive the game. The whole pack took to 

 flight at once, leaving six upon the ground. Three 

 more were soon struggling in the agonies of death, 

 and two others were speedily disposed of. Thence- 

 forward I understood that no game is more easily 

 killed than a turkey. His enormous bulk, the 

 heaviness of his flight, all contribute to render him 

 a bird which falls an easy victim to the sportsman ; 

 only if he be not mortally struck and his wings 

 only are broken, the turkey, instead of losing time, 

 as most game bii'ds do, by showing fight upon the 

 ground, takes to his legs, and his movements are so 

 rapid that, unless you have a very good dog indeed, 

 he will make good his escape. If the turkey be struck 

 upon the head, neck or breast, he is killed upon the 

 spot, but if he be hit in the middle of the back, he 

 can almost invariably get away. Dogs will follow 

 the scent of the turkey for at least a mile. I have 

 seen American dogs that have been trained to this 

 sport, hunting in silence at their master's signal, but 



