i^EB. s. 1898-] FOREST AND STREAM. 108 
Prairie Hen. ' BlHot's Wild Turkej-. 
Bob White. 
between Tom's bullet hole and the center. It was now 
my turn, and with a confident air, but with inward doubts, 
I took my position and did my best to comprehend the 
use of the sight; but it was of no use, so I just guessed 
at it and pulled trigger. We never found the mark of the 
ball, for I did not even hit the tree. I was disgusted, and 
laid the blame to the rifle, but Tom said that the piece 
was one of the best, and wanted to try it; so he loaded 
up and came within a hair's breadth of driving the nail. 
Then he wanted me to try his, which I did, and as I 
pulled trigger I saw the target drop to the ground; and 
when we picked it up, there was the hole as squarely 
in the center as it could be. "There," said I, "that rifle 
hangs to suit me; I can shoot that one." Whereupon 
Tom offered to exchange, which I was perfectly willing 
to do, as one was as good as the other to me. A call 
from the house that dinner was ready put an end to our 
practice, much to my relief. 
In the evening Mr. Allen's son came home, and two 
or three of the neighbors came in, and my famous shot 
was talked up, and the cap-box cover with the bullet 
holes in it was passed from hand to hand, while I re- 
ceived no little praise for my excellent shot. Tom was 
pleased; he had quite a liking for me, and I overheard 
him whisper to one of the visitors that I was one of the 
best shots in, New York. Of course, I could hot go 
back on Tom, and I did nothing to dispel the illusion. 
Meantime, under pretense of cleaning the rifle, I had 
furtively examined the sights, and thought I had learned 
their use and could perhaps line them up to some pur- 
pose when I came to try it again. At least I could not 
fail to hit so large a mark as a deer. 
The next morning we started out, with Mr. Allen's son 
as guide. _ We had gone but a short distance, when 1 
saw a quail sitting on top of a small pile of brush some 
ten rods squarely to the left of our course. There was a 
rise of the ground back of the bird, and I thought it a 
good opportunity to put to the test my ideas of rifle 
shooting, as I could find where the bullet struck in the 
snow, and be able to form an estimate as to where I 
ought to hold; so I proposed taking a shot at the quail, 
but they laughed at the idea of shooting so far at so 
SOME AMERICAN GAME BIRDS. Towns.end's Ptarmigan. 
From Elliot's "Gallinaceous Game Birds of North America." 
small a mark. I took careful aim and let go, when the 
bird jumped off the bush to the ground. Claiming that 
I had hit it, I Avent over to see where the bullet had 
struck, and found that I had shot about 3ft. too low, and 
right into a bunch of quail that were huddled under the 
brush heap, and had killed one and taken the wing ol 
another off close to the body. Pushing the dead bird 
under the snow, I picked up the wotnided one, and as I 
joined my companions I showed it to them and carelessly 
remarked: "I thought I held prettjr close to that fellow." 
To say that they were surprised does not more than 
half express it. They examined the bird, and it was with 
no small share of amusement that I noted the reverential 
air with which they regarded me, as they expressed their 
wonder and admiration of the very successful shot. As 
I have before mentioned, in those days I actually thought 
that the reputation of being a good shot was the next 
best thing to the reality, so I took in their words of 
praise and really enjoyed it, and felt quite elated to see 
my stock booming so high, 
We had gone about two miles from the house, when 
we struck a trail where five deer had recently passed. 
Allen said that the tracks were fresh, and pointing to a 
scattered growth of low-growing oak shrubs with the 
leaves still on, that were on some uneven ground a 
quarter of a mile to the left, he said that they had gone 
in there to lie up for the day. He then proposed that 
while he kept the trail Tom shotdd move some 30yds. 
to the right and a little in advance, while I should in 
the same order keep to the left; and in this manner we 
proceeded, and had passed some little distance into the 
shrubby growth, when upon coming to a little knoll that 
was covered with a dense growth, Allen found that the 
deer had separated, three going to the right of the knoll, 
while two branched of¥ in my direction. Silently waving 
his hand for me to follow the two, he and Tom took the 
other trail. 
Now, I had not experienced any feelings of any nature 
worth mentioning, having only a hazy and indistinct 
consciousness that we were hunting deer, with but little 
prospect, so far as I could see, of even getting sight of 
the game; but when I found myself all alone with the 
two distinct tracks staring me in the face, and remem- 
bered the caution and stealthy manner with which my 
companions faded from sight, there came to me a feeling 
that I cannot well describe. I distinctly remember the 
creepy sensation along my spine and that every hair on 
my head possessed an individuality of its own. I also 
remember cocking my \yeapon and gripping it with my 
best grip, as I pointed it to the front, and in a stealthy 
manner that put to shame the efforts of my companions, 
stole along the trail, keeping both eyes wide open. In 
fact, there is a faint impression that they were bulging 
out rather more than was consistent with personal beauty. 
But this .did not cotmt just then, as I had waked up at 
last to the reality of my situation, and realized the possi- 
bilities that might come to me. 
Following the trail, getting more awake at every step, 
and crouching still lower, I had gone but a few rods, 
and was keyed up to the utmost tension of the strings, 
when out from the snow, not 6ft. in front of me, some- 
thing bigger than the whole woi'ld beside flashed into sight 
and was gone. When the apparition first materialized, 
I was so scared that involuntarily my grip upon the 
rifle tightened, and as my finger was on the trigger, of 
course the gun went off. I do not think that I had an 
attack of "buck ague," as I have read and heard much 
of this disease; but no published or oral description of 
the symptoms that accompany the malady fits my case 
at all. So I think that it must have been something else. 
Mechanically loading my rifle, I was just putting on the 
percussion cap, when I heard my companions just in 
front of me. 
By this time I had somewhat recovered, and when I 
heard Tom shout and excitedly say, "I told you he'd get 
him," I was in my normal condition, and started toward 
them. Just then Tom's rifle cracked, and as I stepped 
into the little opening, there lay the apparition, with 
Allen just putting his knife into its throat. It w^as a 
goodly buck of two years, so Allen said; and as they 
shook hands with me and patted me on the shoulder, I 
could not help thinking that so far as I knew this was 
the first case of the kind that had ever happened, for 
this deer had actually shot himself; I had no part nor 
