54 AMERICAN GAME BIRD SHOOTING. 
for my destination, and reached it early in the afternoon, 
but I found that the person I sought was encamped 
about three miles distant, he being absent on a hunting 
expedition. I rode to his quarters and was cordially 
greeted by himself and his companions, and compli- 
mented on my good fortune in securing so many birds. 
These were handed to the cook with instructions to 
roast them in the highest style of art known in the wil- 
derness, and he promised not only to obey but to show 
what could be done with them in a culinary sense. This 
led to a conversation about preparing food in camp, until 
it finally developed into a suggestion that we ought to 
indulge in a game dinner that evening. The suggestion 
being favorably received, each of us seized a gun or a 
fishing-rod, and sallied forth to replenish our larder. I 
went after quail, and was so successful that J returned to 
camp in about an hour with seven brace. 
I gave these to the cook, and he commenced preparing 
them for dinner immediately. Having plucked three, he 
placed them in the abdominal cavities of three turkeys, 
and chuckled as he did so. He then placed six forked- 
sticks, in twos, quite close to the fire; spitted the tur- 
keys with straight, thin sticks; and laid the ends of each 
stick in the upright crotches. The birds were turned 
slowly and basted with butter, flour, salt, and water, 
which dripped into pans placed beneath. 
“That’s the way to cook a turkey in camp,” exclaimed 
the chief of the kitchen; ‘‘ and I’ll bet you’ll say its the 
sweetest turkey you ever ate, after you’ve tried it.” 
I said I hoped he was right, and that I could vouch for 
the richness of the odor, it being superior to any I could 
recall, The remainder of the party returned in a short 
time with a goodly supply of provender, one having a 
young buck on his shoulders and another carrying a 
string of trout in his hand. These were also soon under- 
going the process of cooking, and when they were ready 
