332 



RECREATION. 



birds. When 2 splendid gray 

 squirrels sprang into the branches 

 ahead of the dogs, I fell from grace 

 and gave them both barrels. Behold ! 

 from off the mountains above there 

 arose and passed high over us 12 

 great turkeys. Against the sky they 

 looked as big as ostriches. Two 

 alighted in the pines out on the point, 

 while the others passed on across the 

 valley and disappeared high up on the 

 opposite mountain. Bill looked at me, 

 I looked at the dogs, the dogs looked 

 wistfully after the turkeys, and we all 

 indulged in a season of silent profan- 

 ity. Out on the point, in the top of 

 the highest pine, we could see a gob- 

 bler craning his neck to find out what 

 fool thing we would do next. But 

 that gobbler was no chicken, and al- 

 though 300 yards distant, he did not 

 permit me to crawl 10 feet toward 

 him before he climbed out of the pine 

 for parts unknown, followed prompt- 

 ly by his lady friend. 



We got up on the ridge from which 

 we could survey the whole valley, and 

 held a council of war. Away across 

 the valley, near the top of the oppo- 

 site mountain, we could see, against 

 the heavy green of the tree tops, a 

 yellow patch of corn stubble. It was 

 decided that Bill and the dogs should 

 go down through the valley and up 

 the other side to take a stand on the 

 edge of the field, and lay for the birds 

 that had crossed. I was to try for a 

 likely place on the mountain back 

 of us. 



Up I climbed to the top of the point, 

 where I sat for a time listening to the 

 music of beagles coursing a fox about 

 the mountain ; then picked my way 

 down across the notch, scanning the 

 ground for signs. In the notch was a 

 growth of small oak, a good place for 

 turkeys, and the overturned leaves 

 and scratchings afforded evidence of 

 their fondness for the locality. But 

 long and careful hunting revealed 

 nary turkey. Then I climbed up the 

 other side of the notch and along the 

 backbone clear to the summit. There, 



seated on a great rock, I smoked my 

 briar, drank in breaths of clear moun- 

 tain air, and gazed on outstretched 

 miles of rolling hills. For an hour I 

 yielded to the charm of the scene, then 

 scrambled through a briar thicket 

 down into a grove of hickory. Fill- 

 ing my pockets with nuts, I went back 

 toward the top of the hill, whence the 

 birds had flown in the morning, going 

 carefully, pausing frequently and 

 watching every movement far ahead 

 through the trees. Thus I passed 

 across and up the back of the moun- 

 tain until I came out on the bald top. 

 On my left was a sheer descent into 

 the tree tops at the foot of the cliff, 

 while on the right and to the front lay 

 a steep slope of loose shale, with bare 

 pines scattered here and there. 



Suddenly there came to my ear 

 from far below, the clear call of a 

 turkey. I listened and soon again it 

 floated musically through the thin air, 

 "Keouk, keouk, keouk-e-ouk!" There 

 was one clown below and no mistake ; 

 but how to get to close quarters with 

 the owner of that "keouk" was a 

 problem. I knew that on the bare 

 hillside I could be seen from afar, and 

 that a false step would send clatter- 

 ing down enough shale to give every 

 turkey in the country nervous prostra- 

 tion. Nevertheless, I essayed the de- 

 scent for 100 yards or so, making 

 what use I could of the slim pines for 

 cover, and finally reached a point be- 

 yond which I knew it would be im- 

 possible to move quietly. Still the 

 turkey called, and I flattened behind 

 a pine fervently praying the bird 

 would come up my side of the draw. 

 "Keouk, keouk-eouk!" Oh, for a 

 turkey call and some skilled accom- 

 plice to coax from it the magic sound ! 

 Fifty dollars for a turkey call ! My 

 kingdom for a turkey call ! and no 

 takers ! "Keouk, keouk-keouk-eouk !" 

 Awful thought ; perhaps it was a 

 hunter who had heard the slight noise 

 I made coming down the ridge and 

 was calling me even as the noble red 

 men used to call our pilgrim fathers 



