242 THE WILD TURKEY AND ITS HUNTING 



them discover the lens and approach within two 

 feet and peer at it with curious wonder, whine 

 and purr, until satisfied it would not harm them, 

 then walk serenely away. 



At times when I saw a flock or an individual 

 feeding at a distance, I would take my call and 

 invite them to advance, "stand up and look 

 pleasant," and if in the humor they would often 

 comply. I have a friend living in New Orleans 

 with whom a hundred happy hours have been 

 spent in the camp, wild woods, and along the 

 stream, chiefly in quest of these noble fowls. 

 He and I have exchanged letters once a week for 

 the past quarter of a century. Of course I re- 

 gale him with every new photograph taken of 

 turkeys. One day I mailed him several that 

 set him afire, and on a certain day friend Renaud 

 came to me with his old 10-gauge which has 

 served him thousands of times. 



The next morning when day broke we sat on 

 the crest of a pine ridge adjacent to the hum- 

 mock bordering the "Big-bee" river swamps, 

 over which the turkeys roosted at night. Ere 

 long the gray of the eastern horizon began to 



