i^EB. 2(5, 1904.1 
FOREST AMD 6TMaM. 
In Old Virginia. 
XIX.-A Wild Turkey. 
When the subject of sport and sportsmen was up in 
the talks around the evening fire, "Cousin Buck" was 
often mentioned. He lived on his farm some six miles 
distant, and had quite a local reputation as an all-round 
sportsman. An invitation had been extended him to join 
us in a hunt, and he had been expected for several days. 
Coming in one afternoon from a short trip alone, the 
small boy and his little black companion met me, greatly 
excited over the information they bore. 
"Tousin Buck's tum," shouted the former, "and he 
bringed a little doggy what walks easy and has dot a tail 
like a wat; and he's dot a big dun what shoots two 
times, and he is doin' to dif me a tatwidge shell when he 
shoots de shots all out of it; a wed one, and heap more 
bigger den yours, papa." 
"Yaas, suh," cut in the little man Friday, before the 
small boy could get breath to resume. "Mistah Buck he 
done come, an' bring his dawg, hit a houn' dawg, an' he 
say hit good foh deah an' tucky ; I heah him say so 
myse'f." 
I found the gentleman at the house, and warmed to him 
from the start. Over six feet in height, very dark, deep 
set, kindly eyes; firm jaw and chin, nearly concealed by a 
heavy drooping black mustache ; a laugh like a boy's, and 
a heart that seemed never to have aged any after reach- 
ing majority, he was a man to know and grow fond of. 
An enthusiastic sportsman, his long suit was the wild 
turkey, and he had the reputation of being the most skill- 
ful and successful hunter of this wary bird in the whole 
country. 
If there was any one thing our visitor could do as well 
as shoot a gun, it was play the fiddle, and we made the 
rafters ring that night after supper when he demonstrated 
that fact. 
Cousin Rob's room was general headquarters, and here 
we all gathered, including another cousin who had come 
in for the night, and spent an evening to be remembered. 
The small boy flatly rebelled against retiring at his 
u.sual time, and when finally too sleepy to beg for "des 
one more," was carried to bed still trying to , pat his feet 
to the rollicking tune. 
A perfect day was the next, with a frost almost like 
snow, and a brightness like June. Our departure was de- 
layed a little by the necessity of doctoring the right lock 
on' Cousin Buck's gun, which had gone wrong, and finally 
refused to come entirely right in spite of our combined 
efforts. "Let her go," said he, "when it misses I'll try 
the other." 
Gathering the remainder of our outfit we started off, 
taking only the hound with us, as the bird dog had been 
a little out of condition for a day or two and needed 
a rest. The hound was a runty looking little black-and- 
tan, Ino by name, who, his master said, would "hunt any- 
thing that wore fur or feathers." I was much pleased 
with the possibly wide scope of our hunt and the en- 
thusiasm of my companion. I have little love for the 
pessimistic man in any walk of life, but my pet aversion 
is the pessimist with a gun. Like the old man who told 
his children that he had "had much trouble, the most of 
which never happened," I have had great sport in the 
field, much of which never happened, but just as you 
may suffer from the former, so you may get enjoyment 
from the latter. And now when my companion sug- 
gested that we try for a shot at a deer, and then hunt 
turkeys, taking the shots offered by the way at quail, rab- 
bits, and squirrels, setting forth the prospects regarding 
each variety of game with earnest enthusiasm, I was 
more than pleased with the outlook. 
"How far can you walk ?" said he, sts he began to men- 
tally lay out our route. Had he asked that question three 
weeks sooner, candor would have compelled me to 
answer, "About a mile or two," but with the knowledge 
of the good things I had done in the past few days. I 
boldly said, "Go as far as you please; I'll beg when I get 
enough." 
"Well, we will go over to those pine woods first," indi- 
cating two wooded ridges about a half mile away, "and 
I will try to get you up a deer. They used to be in there, 
and when jumped go out by the two large white oaks 
about half a mile down yonder on the road. That will 
be your stand, and if the dog jumps a deer I will raise a 
yell that will put j'-ou on notice. Don't forget your buck- 
shot shells when you get there, and listen for my whistle 
somewhere in below you when I have hunted the ground 
entirely out." 
Turning off, I made for the point indicated, having 
several times noticed the trees in passing the road. I 
felt that the chance of jumping a deer was slight, as I 
had been shooting around and through the woods almost 
daily for two or three weeks, but then we had found 
many fresh beds, and only a few days before the Esquire 
and I had found the tracks of three deer in a piece of 
soft ground, evidently made the night before. 
I was swinging along over the frozen ground about 
half way to the stand, when from far down in the woods, 
in the direction taken by my companion, I heard the 
hound open up. It set me sprinting for the oak trees on 
the_ road at a pace I could not have kept up long, and 
which soon put me in position to stop the deer I hoped 
was coming my way. I had barely replaced my No. 8's 
with buckshot, when I heard my companion's gun, and 
then silence, and knew that whatever it was he had 
stopped it. A half hour more of eager expectancy, and 
then the sound of his whistle down the road. Joining 
him, he reported a squirrel bagged, a covey of birds scat- 
tered back in a thicket, and no fresh deer signs. 
On our way down to the birds a rabbit jumped in front 
of him, which he tried with the lame barrel of his gun, 
and its failure to respond is the only reason why I had 
the opportunity to kill that rabbit, as there was no more 
shooting needed, as a general thing, at game he held 011 
when the gun fired. 
We found three of the scattered quail, the first of 
which was neatly stopped by my companion, the second — 
a much fairer shot— I missed, and the third being any- 
body's bird, as we doubled on it in the thick brush, 
neither knowing that the other was in a position for a 
shot. The dog acted in a very interesting manner when 
we approached the birds, and as I never saw one of his 
breed act under similar circumstances. Taking the trail 
of a bifd he would creep on it like a fox, not pointing 
it, but going much slower as he drew near, affording al- 
most as much assistance to the hunter as a bird dog. 
No more birds offering, we hunted on across country 
to some timber where a small gang of turkeys had been 
seen, going by the mill pond in hopes of surprising a 
wild duck that might have dropped in for a night's lodg- 
ing and lingered for breakfast. Reaching the edge of the 
timber the dog was sent on ahead, while we kept along 
where it was open enough for shooting, if game should 
flush in our direction. 
_ "S-tah ! S-tah ! Ino, S-tah ! suh," was the instruction 
given the dog by his master on sending him off, and 
although entirely unlike any dog talk I ever heard, seemed 
to answer every purpose to the two most concerned. 
The dog struck a warm trail shortly after getting well 
away into the timber, which seemed to lead away from 
us, as his baying grew gradually fainter and then ceased 
altogether. My companion thought it most likely turkeys, 
and that they had flushed and gone on in the direction 
the trail had led. "Come on," said he, when we could no 
longer hear the dog, "we will have to do our own hunt- 
ing until he gets back." 
We soon proved our ability to go it alone by flushing 
another covey of birds, one of which we got down on the 
flush. The remainder scattered into a thicket on a 
swampy creek bottom sown with briers and thorn vines, 
and known to be the worst half acre of cover within ten 
miles. While I was scouting around looking for an 
opening, or at least a thin place, my companion calmly 
walked into the very thick of it, as though, like "Bre'r 
Rabbit," "Bawn and bred in a briah patch." He had two 
birds down before I got into the thicket. The growth 
was too thick and tall for me to shoot in, after getting 
into it, so I crawled up on a fallen tree and concluded to 
watch for passers by. A bird soon came my way, put up 
by the native who was tramping about in the thickest of 
it. I missed with the right and nearly fell off my perch 
trying to do better with the left. Another crossed in 
front, flying toward a steep bank, which dropped to my 
first shot. Marking it down, I waited a moment to see 
if any more were coming, and then climbed down and 
went after it. 
"How many?" called my companion, who had continued 
to bang away at short intervals. I was in the act of 
stooping to pick up my bird, when it flew again, and cost 
me another shot. "Two," I replied, "the same one both 
time." He brought out three birds and a rabbit, and re- 
ported one winged,' and another killed and lost. 
Going up over a steep place, and out into the woods 
3 bout fifty yards from where we had been shooting, the 
dog reappeared. He was coming toward us from among 
some treetops, and leading him about fifty feet was a 
very fine turkey. The gun instinctively leaped from my 
shoulder at the sight, but dropped back as I noted a mill 
off a hundred yards, the house near by, and remembered 
the amount of shooting we had just done close by. 
"There is a turkey," I called to my companion, who 
was out to my right. 
"No, that is the dog you see," was his reply. 
"Dog and turkey, too," said I, "but it is a tame one; 
] see white on its neck." And I thought I did, as we 
stood shouting at each other, and the fine looking bird 
dodged about among' the treetops, followed by the dog. 
My companion stood.in a low place, where his view was 
obstructed, and could not see the turkey, so called 
out : 
"If you do see a turkey it is not a tame one ; shoot it, 
and shoot quick." 
I smiled in a superior way to myself to think of his 
trying to catch me with such an old ti-ick as persuading 
me to shoot a tame bird, but it was not one of the smiles 
that don't come off, for as that grand bird suddenly took 
flight and went out of gunshot before I could sufficiently 
recover _ from my surprise to move a muscle, the smile 
went with it. I felt as though I had acted like a fool, 
and yet could not have done otherwise. To shoot a tur- 
key which by every known test and standard was clearly 
a tame bird, was something I could not do. 
Neither of us had ever known or heard of this wary 
bird acting so, nor could we explain it. Without exag- 
geration or qualification the facts are given, and is but 
one of those many strange experiences that sportsmen 
have. 
I mourned many days for ■ that turkey, and the 
boys made merry at my expense -around the evening fire. 
Rabbits were the next game, and it seemed a regular 
warren which we found in a weedy bottom. Four came 
out at one time, the first I missed with both barrels, the 
second my companion killed, and the other two gave me 
the unusual opportunity of a double, of which opportunity 
I made the most. Another rabbit, jumped a little later, 
had. rather the best of it, both of us missing fair shots 
at it. 
The dog had gone on quite a way in advance, and sud- 
denly opened on a hot chase back towards us. My com- 
panion listened intently for a moment, and then motion- 
ing quickly said : "Deer, I believe. Get out into the open 
on that side quick as you can," starting on a run at the 
sam.e time himself for the other side of the narrow strip 
of woods we were in. For the second time I made a 
record run for position, and with as little result as the 
first, for the game proved something other than venison, 
though what we could not certainly tell. 
We had been getting so much out of the day that the 
noon hour had passed unnoticed, but now the unanimous 
sentiment was in favor of lunch. A negro cabin near by 
aft'orded an opportunity to procure drinking water, which 
was politely furnished, together with a cordial invitation 
to eat our lunch before their big wood fire, which we 
proceeded to do, both the warmth and the rest in chairs 
proving grateful to us. 
As we were leaving, the mother of the two pickaninnies 
into whose hands I had dropped some small coin, paid me 
the compliment that I had come to expect from about 
every adult colored individual I met: "Ain't you Mis' 
Lady's husban'? You is? I 'lowed you was. You sho' 
mus' be a good man to be good enough foh her." And 
then, probably in return for my kindness to the children, 
she added, while calmly looking me over from head to 
foot: "I 'lowed you was a little milk-an'-water city 
man, but you is plenty big, and a good looker, too." - 
In a general discussion of the negroes of that neighbor- 
hood., which occurred a few days thereafter, I was struck 
with the fact that the unanimous opinion seemed to be 
that the above mentioned woman was the most unreliable 
ot any under discussion. 
, We took to_ the woods after dinner, , and the little ^og 
was soon telling us that something' suspicious had been 
about. After trailing a little way he seemed to be sta- 
tionary,^ and my companion announced that he had 
'treed." "Squirrel," said he, as we approached ' and 
found the dog baying around a very tall cottonwood. 
Den tree, I am afraid," was his next remark, as we 
worked around through the thicket of thorn vines which 
grew in profusion. Stationing ourselves on opposite sides 
ot the tree, we searched every limb up and down, and 
shook btishes to try to start the squirrel, but to no effect. 
Fmally, about to give up and go on, I stepped back for a 
fmal look, and caught a quick glimpse of fur, down low 
where the big limbs began to fork. "I see him, low down 
near the first forks," I called. 
A moment more and we both saw a gray squirrel mak- 
mg up the tree, and opened fire. He was high and stood 
three loads of the small shot we were using before com- 
ing down. As he fell, two more squirrels showed, one 
running into the broken end of a limb extending out to- 
wards my companion, and the other climbing for the top 
on my side. My first shot stopped the one on my side, 
and left it swinging from the limb, the second bringing 
it down. 
"Look up," called my companion. "I think there is a 
hole in the end of the limb, but will throw a load of shot 
n)to it to make sure." 
At the crack of his gun one squirrel sprang clear and 
came hurtling down through the air, while another 
dashed out and went up into the top like a gray streak. 
"Take him on the wing," he shouted, referring to the 
squirrel ni the air, but thinking that one safe, I was busily 
engaged m trying to overtake the one fleeing into the 
treetop. I missed with both barrels, but my companion 
killed by a beautiful snap shot just as the squirrel reached 
the very top. Going after the other which the dog had 
rushed when it lit, I found it hanging to the side of a 
tree about five feet from the ground, hard hit, and un- 
able to climb higher. Seeing that it did not need another 
shot, I stood waiting for my companion, who was slowly 
making his way through the vines. Before he got to us 
the squirrel lost its hold and fell to the ground, turning 
immediately upon its back. 
The dog, instead of closing in at once, began trying to 
turn it over, so as to get it by the back, but the squirrel 
was a fighter, and was in its chosen position. Reaching 
up It took a firm grip with its fore feet on each side of 
the dog's head, and set its sharp teeth through and 
through the end of his nose. With the blood fairly spurt- 
mg, the poor little dog stood perfectly still, howling as 
only a suffering hound can howl. It was pathetic, yet 
ludicrous, and I could not help laughing, as I urged his 
master to hurry to the rescue. When he came up and 
saw the state of affairs, he refused to interfere, saying 
that the dog would never forget the lesson he was be- 
ing taught, which was good for him. When the squirrel 
finally dropped off from exhaustion," the poor dog sat 
down, lifted up his voice "and wept. 
On the way home we bagged another rabbit and a pair 
of birds out of a small covey, and arrived with every 
game pocket filled. It was a large and varied assortment 
that we laid out on the table for the admiration of the 
household, but there, was a large vacant spot where a 
turkey should have been. 
Of all the good days there were none better than this. 
' Lewis Hopkins, j 
[to be continued.] 
''It Just Happened So/V 
Pittsburg, Jan. ii.~-Editor Forest and Stream: In 
Forest and Stream of January 2, under the heading, "It 
Just Happened So," it is related, and doubted, that a 
Yankee ship captain in a South Sea port had seen 'his wife 
111 a vision on the same night she died. By heredity, 
temperament, educatioi-t, jind training I am a positivist, 
and take no stock in the occult. I want proofs, but I 
know also we .do know very little yet of the forces of 
nature surrounding us, hence have always kept an open 
mind on all subjects. We have wireless telegraphy to-day, 
the electric impulse traveling through the ether without 
the aid of wires. Why could not the human brain, in 
certain psychological conditions, emit certain impulses 
%v-hich could travel through the same ether, or another 
medium which exists, but which we have not discovered 
yet, and strike another brain, synchronized to the brain 
which emits the impulse, as may exist among persons 
who- have strong affinity and affection for each other, as 
between husband and wife, lovers, friends, etc. ? This is 
only an hypothesis, but all great truths and scientific facts 
first were hj'potheses ; for in discovering a natural law 
we create nothing, only find out a fact, which may have 
existed for ages ! Here is an experience, among others, 
for the actual occurrence of which I can vouch : 
When my maternal grandmother (nee van der Meer- 
schout) was a young lady, she used to visit every day the 
village poorhouse in the rear of our place, caring for arid 
feeding the poor, old, and helpless. Among them was an 
old woman called Soffiedje, for whom grandmother had 
an especial affection, which was reciprocated. Grand- 
mother went to Paris on a visit to relatives, distance 
about 180 miles, and at that time— the beginning of last 
century— it had to be done by stage, taking several days, 
and there was no electric telegraph. Coming home from 
a ball, she threw herself,, -fully dressed, on her bed, and 
fell asleep, being tired out. Suddenly she awoke, and 
saw Soffiedje in the room, bidding her good-by in Flem- 
ish. She noted the date and time, for grandmother had 
a hard, intellectual, investigating Dutch head, with no 
space for superstition or nonsense whatever in it ; really 
much ahead of her- time, for a woman.' Coming home 
several weeks later, she found, upon inquiry, Soffiedje had 
died the same day and hour, even taking in account the 
difference in time for different longitude. Explain who 
can; I admit I can't by any existing laws I know 
of, and won't try. I want more light on the subject, as 
on a great many others. After all, what we know by past 
discoveries, as recorded in:books, which we call knowl- 
edge, may amount to a cubic inch, and all that exists, 
