52 A SUCCESSFUL EXPEDITION. 



ground inside with grains of maize, and issuing by the 

 ogive-like opening, he doubles round one side of the trap, 

 scattering a train of seed thick enough to render it impos- 

 sible to be overlooked. The flocks of turkeys soon discover 

 the seeds, and as they eat them follow up the train to 

 the opening, which they enter without much hesitation. 

 Once they are in, they cannot get out again ; and fre- 

 quently a fortunate sportsman, on visiting his trap in 

 the morning, will find a score of turkeys to reward his 

 toil. 



But we must add, as the shadow to our picture, that 

 hurtful animals, such as foxes, prairie wolves, and lynxes, 

 which breed in the North American forests, sometimes 

 anticipate the sportsman's morning visit ; and when the 

 latter penetrates into his cage, he often finds nothing but 

 feathers and a few half-gnawed bones. 



I shall conclude this chapter on the American turkeys 

 by describing one of the most successful sporting expe- 

 ditions ever accomplished at least, I believe so in the 

 prairies of the New World. 



My friend and I had been with the Redskins about a 

 fortnight, when, one morning, an Indian hastened to 

 inform the chief of his tribe that, at about five miles 

 from the camp, he had fallen in with a flock of turkeys, 

 consisting of nearly two hundred. Although, as a rule, 

 the Redskins do not value very highly the flesh of these 

 birds, whom they catch only by means of snares, the 

 chief's desire to render himself agreeable to his pale-faced 

 guests suggested to htm the idea of giving immediate 

 orders, that the opportunity of affording them an addi- 

 tional pleasure should not be let slip. 



