254 THE TVILD TURKEY. 



cover him with my gun, and then half a dozen buck- 

 shot stretched him dead, although not so cleanly killed 



as had been his brother in misfortune. D rose to 



his feet and reloaded his rifle, while I renewed the 

 charcre in the risfht barrel of my o-un. 



o O I/O 



'We have them both,' he said, 'just as I expected. 

 But I hope you paid particular attention to my 

 calling.' 



' Yes. I thought it was the best imitation of a hen 

 turkev I had ever heard. Had I not seen the call in 

 your mouth, I should have fallen into the same mis- 

 take that cost these beauties their lives.' 



' That is not what I mean. Did you notice how 

 very little I called, and what loner intervals I allowed 

 between each cluck ? ' 



' Certainly,' I replied. 



The old hunter filled his pipe, and was enveloped 

 in a cloud of smoke, before he went on. 



' Then just remember that, if you wish to have 

 much sport in wild turkey calling, you may pipe as 

 little as you please, so long as the cock answers your 

 summons. I find that many fools from the old settle- 

 ments, who fancy themselves hunters, will pipe away, 

 as if for the pleasure of hearing their own noise ; but 

 you should remember that a gobbler has a good ear 

 for music, and will in an instant detect a false or un- 

 natural note ; and this, too, any gobbler who had 

 reached years of discretion would be much more likely 



