256 THE WILD TURKEY. 



motions of the clog; and, in the second place, the 

 closely-set feathers will turn aside even small-sized buck- 

 shot if aimed at the breast ; it is, therefore, much the 

 wiser plan to shoot up the feathers than against them. 

 I soon found that the latter method did not pay, 

 having in my early days of gobbler-hunting lost many 

 a fine bird by vainly expending a charge of shot against 

 the bird's armour-plated breast. 



In approaching the treed bird, so as to get a shot, 

 the hunter must exercise much patience and caution, 

 as the bird invariably takes wing and is lost if it 

 discovers the least sio^n of a human beino-. Its instinct 

 tells it that in the tree it has nothing to fear from the 

 dog. A single bird is much more easily killed than 

 one in a flock, because in the latter case so many keen 

 bright eyes are prying about, that some individual of 

 the gang is almost sure to see the hunter, and then the 

 slio'htest movement causes them to take flio^ht, while a 

 single bird is occupied in watching the dog. 



During my stay with my friend D , whose prowess 



and cunning have been already described, and who 

 taught me to call up cocks, we used to cross the river 

 from Washington County, where his settlement was, and 

 hunt in the Brazos County twice or thrice a week. As 

 an average, the proceeds of our day's sport would be a 

 couple of deer, and perhaps eight turkeys, of which I 

 must confess D killed the lion's share. 



The best season for this kind of sport was, in our 



