THE WILD TURKEY. 55 
we sat down to a feast fit for the chief gods and goddesses 
of the forest. _When the turkeys were opened, and the 
quail found inside, the gentleman who acted as carver 
said slowly, and in a serious tone:— 
‘* Well, I must say that these are the durndest turkeys 
I ever saw. I’ve been acquainted with turkeys now 
for nearly forty years, but these are the first I ever knew 
to carry their young in their innards. The ways of 
nature in the West are inscrutable. Let us pray—for 
more of such turkeys.” 
The ‘‘voung” were roasted in admirable style, and 
divided the honors with the birds in which they were 
stowed away. Roast turkey and grilled venison steaks 
were the pieces de resistance of the feast; but the dishes 
which elicited the most discussion were venison stew 
and the salmon trout. Having finished the meal, we 
threw ourselves on the ground before the fire, and, light- 
ing our cigars, indulged in angling, shooting, and hunt- 
ing expeditions until near midnight, when we retired to 
rest on beds of fragrant cedar boughs, our lullaby being 
sung by the soughing and the sighing of the forest. 
