THE WILD TURRET. 
121 
them in sigbt with his keen eyes. He watches 
to see which way they are going, and follows 
in the rear, looking very innocent, and as if 
he happened to be there by the merest acci- 
dent. But by-and-by he makes a little 
circuit, and gets before them unawares. Then 
he lies in wait for their coming, crouching in 
the path, with his back up, and his tail waving 
backwards and forwards. His patience is not 
tried very long. Up come the turkeys, who, 
having missed him, suppose they shall see 
nothing more of him. But they are soon 
aware of their mistake. There is a spring, a 
scuffle, a faint gobble, and off trots the lynx, 
with a fine young turkey in his mouth ! 
The rest of the brood are sorely discomforted, 
and run gobbling about in great confusion, 
looking very red and excited. But it is all 
of no use ; their companion is gone for ever ! 
Another subtle foe of the turkey is our old 
friend the barred owl, who likes the taste of 
turkey as much as the lynx does. He hovers 
over the flock, when they have gone to roost, 
his head bent, and his great eyes fixed upon 
them, as if he were making up his mind 
which he should like the best. But noiseless 
