40 TURKEY-BUZZARDS. 



search brought me out on a ridge from whence a 

 tolerable view could be obtained. In the north-east, 

 to my astonishment, hovered several turkey-buzzards. 

 From my knowledge of these birds I felt assured 

 that they were near a camp or dead game : the first 

 was a probable, the other a certain indication of man's 

 presence. 



1 My luck all over !' I exclaimed inwardly. Now 

 that I had reached an elysium I found that it had 

 other occupants. It was, to use a not very elegant 

 expression, a confounded sell, for the odds were all 

 in favour of their being enemies, not friends. Al- 

 ways thinking it better to know the worst, I pro- 

 ceeded at once to do so. If the mare and mule had 

 not been absent, it is more than probable that I 

 should have retired without gratifying my curiosity ; 

 but, minus these, I could not depart, and in follow- 

 ing out my search for them it was quite possible I 

 should be discovered, and thus placed at a disad- 

 vantage. I therefore got to leeward of the place I 

 wished to reconnoitre, and then advanced upon it 

 directly up -wind. If this is neglected, and the 

 strangers happen to possess dogs, they will be 

 winded by them before they are within half-a-mile 

 of the object of their search. 



Now, believing that the dogs I heard last night 

 belonged to the hunters whose handiwork had 

 attracted these carrion -feeders, I was more than 

 usually guarded in my advance. Each step was 

 made with caution ; no rotten limb was tramped 



