A Sportsman s Christmas 233 



gobble." "Oh, confound that turkey and 

 ham ! " I groaned, and again tossed over, 

 but barely had I sunk into the "arms of 

 Morpheus " when that agonising " Gobble, 

 gobble, gobble," for the third time pierced 

 my ear. Flesh and blood could stand it 

 no longer. I sprang out of bed, struck a 

 match and lit the candle, and behold ! there 

 was my reverend friend standing up in his 

 bed on one leg, quite purple in the face from 

 his futile efforts " to put his head under his 

 wing poor thing," and at each of his 

 unsuccessful attempts he raised his face 

 towards the ceiling, and uttered that blood- 

 curdling " Gobble, gobble, gobble." 



It is dangerous, I have been informed, to 

 rouse anyone too suddenly when in such 

 a peculiar position. However, I got the 

 longest pin I could find, and rammed it in 

 up to the very head in a certain portion of 

 my divine friend's personality. The effect 



