238 THE WILD TURKEY. 



was a wild bird ;' and then followed a peal of laughter 

 at the expense of the greenhorn who had allowed 

 such a prize to escape. 



My reputation would have suffered much from this 

 in after years, but being comparatively a stranger in the 

 land, no one expected great deeds from me. I retiu-ned 

 to the spot where I had seen the bird, with the idea 

 that it micfht ao'ain cross to the maize field, as it had 

 not been shot at nor very greatly alarmed. I waited 

 about in the road for an hour or two without seeing 

 or hearing anything of it. Just as I was about to 

 return home, I heard a slight noise, and the next 

 instant the turkey again started to cross the road, 

 only accomplishing half the journey however, for a 

 charge of shot stopped its progress ; and I secured my 

 prize and started for the boat, much pleased at having 

 made up for my former lack of success. 



Besides man and his deadly fire-arms, the turkeys 

 have other foes ; so numerous are its enemies that it 

 seems almost incredible that there should be such 

 numbers still remaining in the forests. Besides the 

 lynx, fox, 'possum, and the varieties of the cat tribe, 

 the turkey has to defend herself and brood against the 

 attacks of birds of prey. Crows and ravens will suck 

 the eggs whenever they have a chance, while the 

 snowy and the Virginian owls seize every opportunity 

 to pounce upon the chicks, or even upon the old birds. 

 Yet it is strange, that while on moonlight nights they 



