192 THE WILD TURKEY AND ITS HUNTING 



lien. I said, "No, he is there yet." This si- 

 lence lasted fifteen or twenty minutes, while the 

 mosquitoes were covering the faces of the boys; 

 but they were bent on seeing the play out and 

 would squirm and rub off the pests, then listen 

 and look, as they lay prone on the pine straw 

 and peered over the log. Once in a while I 

 would yelp, but no response came until the 

 gobbler's attention to the hen had ceased; he 

 then began to gobble again as vigorously as 

 though nothing had occured. Then I began 

 calling again, but he would not come to me, and 

 soon another hen came flying and lighted in a 

 tree near him, and a moment or two after flew 

 down to him. This caused another long wait. 

 When through with the second hen there was 

 another long strutting and then another hen 

 paid him a visit. By this time the boys had be- 

 come impatient, and were anxious to go home; 

 the mosquitoes were biting them severely and 

 their stomachs were craving nourishment; so 

 was mine, but I knew what I was about, and in a 

 low whisper remarked: "Boys, if you can en- 

 dure it no longer we will go home, but it is hard 



