136 THE WILD TURKEY AND ITS HUNTING 



the turkey. Like any other carnivorous beast, 

 the lynx may partake of turkey as an occasional 

 repast, if they are thrown in his way, but this is 

 an exception and not the rule. 



My brother, who is a well-known turkey 

 hunter in Mississippi, has furnished me with the 

 following incident: As he sat on the bank of a 

 small lagoon, in the early morning, with his back 

 against a log that lay across the lagoon, calling 

 a gobbler which was slow to come, he heard the 

 soft tread of something on the log very near his 

 head, on the side next to the lagoon. Turning 

 slowly, he saw a large cat within three feet of 

 him, apparently having crossed the water in an 

 attempt to spring upon the supposed turkey that 

 had been yelping on that side. When my brother 

 faced the cat, it beat a rapid retreat, and my 

 brother, springing to his feet, waited until the 

 cat left the log, thus turning its side toward 

 him, when he fired, killing it on the spot. There 

 is little doubt but that in another minute the cat 

 would have jumped on my brother's head. An- 

 other time he was sitting calling a gobbler, when 

 suddenly he heard a growling and purring noise 



