TURKEYS. 37 



file, their bodies half hent, so that their heads were 

 no higher than the herbage through which the}^ pur- 

 sued their silent way. Presently we heard the 

 clucking and gobbling of the cock birds, which 

 told us that the turkeys were aware of us. The 

 flock was, in fact, close to us, and when the chief of 

 the Eed Skins gave the signal of attack with his 

 war-whoop, the whole tribe rushed forward upon the 

 quarry with shrill and guttural cries. In a moment, 

 the whole flock of turkeys rose before us, pursued 

 by the Indians, who never stopped until the birds 

 had alighted. This manceuvre was repeated five 

 times, until, finally, the weary birds could no longer 

 fly, but trotted before us slowly, limping along upon 

 their legs and wings, whilst the Eed Skins caught 

 them by the neck and knocked them over. 



On returning to camp, we counted over the pro- 

 ceeds of the day's sport before the chief's tent, and 

 there were a hundred and sixty turkeys heaped up 

 together. The remainder of the flock had escaj)ed 

 from this fatal steeple-chase by concealing them- 

 selves in the grass and allowing the pursuing crowd 

 to pass by. 



