90 PRAIRIE AND FOREST. 



fectly deserted ; not a squirrel or bird showed itself to 

 break the monotony, except an angry, squabbling 

 family of woodpeckers, who appeared to have some 

 serious disagreement in reference to the possession of 

 a hole in the trunk of a dead giant tree. Wet feet are 

 never conducive to comfort, and much less so when you 

 are prevented from taking exercise ; besides, it was 

 bitterly cold. First I stood on one leg, then on the 

 other, after the manner of geese, which birds I began 

 to consider I much resembled, till at last the inaction 

 became so unendurable that I was very nearly taking 

 up my gun and starting in pursuit of my supposed 

 recreant friend. 



As I was about to put my resolution in practice, I 

 thought I heard a voice, and on looking in the direc- 

 ,tion from whence it proceeded, I was surprised to see a 

 couple of hunters with a cur dog passing my retreat, 

 about a hundred yards off. He who has shot much in 

 the timber, well knows that if he remains quiet the 

 possibility is great that those moving about may make 

 the game start towards his retreat. And well it was 

 I did so ; for ere five minutes had passed a grand old 

 turkey, head down, and going like a race-horse, ran 

 past ; but turkey was not deer, so I let him go, pre- 

 ferring to be without turkey to braving the wrath of 

 Will for firing at illegitimate game. How often 

 patience and forbearance receive their reward ! and so 

 it was in this instance, for scarcely had the gobbler 

 gone when a fine large buck hove in sight. From 

 his manner he was evidently alarmed, for every now 

 and then he stopped, snorted, and continued his route. 

 Unfortunately, he was heading so as to pass further off 

 than would afford a good shot, and the ground was too 



