THE TURKEY DRIVE 



23 





down the lines, the boys pushed and shoved to clear 

 the track; but the lines re-formed behind them 

 quickly, evenly, and almost without a sound. As well 

 try to sweep back the waves of the sea ! They worked 

 together to collect a small band of the birds and 

 drive them into the edge of the woods; but every 

 time the band dwindled to a single turkey that 

 dodged between their legs toward its place on the 

 roost. The two boys could have kept two turkeys 

 off the rails, but not five hundred. 



" The game is up, George," said Herbert, as the 

 sickening thought of a passing train swept over him. 



The words were hardly uttered when there came 

 the tankle, tankle of the big cow-bell hanging from 

 the collar of the horse, that was just now coming 

 up to the crossing ! 



George caught his breath and started over to stop 

 the horse, when, above the loud hum of the wires 

 and the sound of the wind in the forest trees, they 

 heard through the storm the muffled whistle of a 

 locomotive. 



" Quick ! The horse, Herbert ! Hitch him to a tree 

 and come ! " called George, as he dived into the 

 wagon and pulled out their lantern. "Those birds 

 could wreck the train ! " he shouted, and hurried for- 

 ward along the track with his lighted lantern in his 

 hand. 



It was not the thought of the turkeys, but the 

 thought of the people on the flying Montreal express, 



