120 
THE WILD TURKEY. 
upon the enemy, and tried to scare him with 
her hideous screams. Perhaps she succeeded, 
or else he was deceived, and fancied the young 
turkeys were realty dead. At all events, after 
keeping them in suspense a very long time, 
he seemed to change his mind, and flew off in 
another direction. 
Then the turkey altered her note to one of 
rejoicing ; and up started her little ones in an 
instant, as though they had suddenly come to 
life again. They crowded round her, still 
trembling with fear ; and expressed, by a 
variety of sounds, their joy at having escaped. 
In process of time, the young turkeys grow 
great birds, with strong muscular legs that 
can run very fast. * They are quite able 
to take care of themselves, and the mother 
turns them adrift. Their wings are not yet 
large enough to fly with, but they can scramble 
up the trees, and so escape from many of their 
enemies ; as, for instance, the fox and . the 
wolf, neither of whom can climb. The lynx 
still continues their most dangerous foe, and I 
will tell you how he often serves them. 
When they are wandering in the forest in 
search of food, he prowls about them, keeping 
