TUEKEYS CALLED. 2.51 



whispered D ; ^ the report of your gun will send 



the other chap flying in half a second. However, don't 

 fancy we are to have no sport, for the morning is young 

 vet, and we can trv our luck elsewhere. But, mark, I 

 shall not answer them for ten minutes ; the delay will 

 make them both more anxious.' 



So excited was I, that the ten minutes seemed at least 



an hour, but at length D gave another call ; giving 



only two clucks this time. In an instant the answer 

 from the left-hand bird rolled back on the morning 

 breeze, and a moment afterwards we heard the gobble 

 of the second. It was evident that he, too, had heard 

 the clucks, and had answered them rather than his rival ; 

 no doubt feeling much more inclined to make love than 

 to declare war. 



' That sounds more healthy,' exclaimed D ; 'after 



all we stand a chance of killing the pair.' 



From the voices of the two birds, their gobbling 

 sounding much nearer than when first heard, it was 

 evident that they were approaching us at a rapid rate, 



and I felt rather surprised that D did not repeat 



the sounds which lured them so far. 



' I shall leave them alone for a few minutes,' said he, 

 reading my thoughts ; ' it is quite probable that they 

 have already had a battle for the good graces of some 

 plump hen, and so they will make a race of it to see 

 who can get to her first.' 



At least a quarter of an hour passed by, during which 



