372 UPLAND SHOOTING. 



enough to easily see a turkey' s head against the sky. 

 The trusty double-barrel, loaded with 6' s in the left and 

 OO's in the right, is cocked, and the hunter slowly rises to 

 his feet, to bring death and confusion into that flock of 

 turkeys. On rising, a very little noise is made, and the 

 old gobbler that flew so near me when going to roost 

 stretches his long neck, and looks about suspiciously. 

 The gun comes to the face, and, as the head is seen just" 

 above the barrel, the trigger is pulled, and a load of 6's 

 crashes through his head and neck, making him tumble 

 out limp and lifeless. Before he strikes the ground, and 

 while a hen near by is rushing on the w r ings of fear from 

 out a tree to my left, the faithful old gun glides in just 

 ahead, and, as its bang breaks upon the confusion, she 

 folds her wings, and strikes the water with a mighty 

 splash. Turkeys, alarmed at the firing, are now flying 

 in almost every direction, and by the time I have loaded 

 my gun not one is in sight. It is growing darker fast. 

 Gliding along near the edge of the pond, I carefully look 

 in every tree, to see if some one of the many has not had 

 temerity enough to remain on its roost, and, after going 

 about 100 yards, make the glad discovery that two in one 

 tree remain; but they are out in the pond so far that I must 

 wade in something willingly done, though the water is 

 cold and rubbers are absent. Against the sky, their 

 long necks can be seen moving suspiciously, and the 

 decision is made that it will not be best to try to get 

 close, and I fire away at one with OO's, only to badly 

 cripple it, and lose it in the darkness, though I found it 

 the next morning, and carried it home, it having fallen 

 about 100 yards out in the bottom. Gathering up the 

 two previously killed, I go up the creek toward camp, 

 all the way closely watching in the trees against the 

 western sky, where linger yet the dying beams of day- 

 light. I know there are some gobblers somewhere near, 



