FROM TURKEYS TO QUAILS. 



T. H. FRAZER. 



Ten years ago a schoolmate of mine in- 

 vited me home with him for a hunt during 

 the Christmas holidays. He lived on the 

 head waters of Green river, in Kentucky. 

 The country was heavily timbered and 

 rough back from the river. An occasional 

 deer is seen there now, but we only intend- 

 ed to hunt quails. An old hunter told us 

 there was a big gobbler over in the hills. 

 The old man was much excited and we 

 boys were soon in the same condition, so 

 we planned a turkey hunt for the next day. 

 The hunter and Mr. D — , my friend's father, 

 told us of the turkey hunts they had had 

 in the days when it was almost an every 

 day occurrence to see wild turkeys. 



We only had one breech loading shot gun 

 and shot too light for turkeys ; so we took 

 the loads out of some of the shells and 

 put in small buckshot, our number 12, just 

 chambering 3. We put in 9 to the shell, 

 and powder in proportion. It was a wicked 

 looking charge. Then we got Mr. D's old 

 deer gun down from its deer horn rack 

 and cleaned it. This was a muzzle loading 

 shot gun, double barrel, 12 guage, with 40 

 inch barrels ; a good load for a man to carry 

 all day. 



We had breakfast before light, got into 

 our boots, shouldered our guns, and went 

 for the old hunter. We struck the trail a 

 mile from his cabin on an oak ridge, fol- 

 lowed it in the snow, and after the sun 

 came up we found where the turkey had 

 put up for the night in a big oak tree. We 

 could see where his wings struck in the 

 soft snow when he flew up to roost. The 

 hunter showed us all this, and soon picked 

 up the trail- about 20 yards from the tree, 

 farther down the ride;e. The trail led up 

 hill and down, and we followed it all morn- 

 ing. At noon the track looked as old as 

 when we first struck it ; but the hunter 

 said the turkey was only a little way ahead 

 of us. We found a dry place under some 

 overhanging rocks at the foot of a bluff 



where we ate our dinner. We then took 

 i:p the trail again, and about 3 o'clock we 

 came to a big bend in a ridge. As we 

 boys were getting tired and falling behind, 

 the hunter told us to cut across to the ridge 

 on the other side and he would follow the 

 trail around. He told us he was sure the 

 turkey was still a long way ahead of us and 

 if we went across we might get a shot at 

 the turkey as it passed, if it had not al- 

 ready gone by. We were persuaded to go, 

 as we were tired, for it is no play to fol- 

 low a hunter all day through snow 6 or 8 

 inches deep, and carry an old gun such 

 as I had. We went across, but could 

 not see a trail on the ridge. We hid in 

 the bushes and waited some time, when 

 we heard a shot and knew the old hunter 

 had killed that turkey. Soon he came up 

 the ridge with the turkey over his shoulder 

 and a sly grin on his face. He pretended 

 he was sorry we had not gone with him, 

 as he said he wanted one of us to kill that 

 turkey. We were sold, as we had followed 

 that bird all day and then did not even 

 see him alive. The old man offered to let 

 us carry the turkey but we declined with 

 thanks after we had lifted him. He stood 

 3 feet and weighed 30 pounds. His beard 

 was 6 inches long. 



I shot a hawk that measured 3 feet from 

 tip to tip and I thought I would have him 

 mounted, but he was almost torn to 

 pieces. 



I loaded the gun with small shot and as 

 we came through- a stubble field we got up 

 a big covey of quails and shot 5 of them. I 

 got 2 at one shot and my friend made a 

 pretty double and got another as the last 

 ones got up. 



We reached home at dark, tired and 

 hungry, and ate nearly a whole ham and 

 everything 1 - else in proportion. We had the 

 satisfaction of eating that turkey Sunday, 

 as the old man brought it over and Mrs. 

 D cooked it. 



First Officer — Yes ; we were marching 

 over a plank bridge, when it gave way, and 

 the men fell in. 



Second Officer — What did you do? 



First Officer — Ordered them to fall out, — 

 Judge. 



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