Page 11 - needham_wildturkey

artd at · last stood . at the fence beneath me ~ith panting sides and lolling
tongue, as he looked up as if to say, "What on earth is wanted?"
I leaped from the fence; he tried to jump it but was too tired to
succeed. I was too short, and the dog was too heavy to lift him ~o the top.
What was to·. be done, for time with me then was precious? I ran down
the fence a: few 'paces to where two crooked rails formed an ' unusually
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large crack, showed tbis to 'the •intelligent creature; and although it was
narrow .he made the plunge and a'fter much effort · and twisting, many
fhines and cries, he at last slipped through ' and 'stood, beside me, and
away we went to the spot where the turkey, had fallen. ·, ' · .
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, , l pointed my finger· to the ground. He unde~;tood· what was wanted,
put his' nose to 'the wet' leaves. and began to describe a circle about the
spot. Suddenly he stopped, sniffed. a· little and then lumbered away ~hrough
the' brush and I followed as rapidly as possible. He was some di/)tance
in advance of m·e; ·stopped ' sh,ort niar smne fallen limbs, turned around
and looked, at me as I came ru;nriing in a way that said plainly, '' I do · not
know just what to do. P I looked just ·ahead of, him and beneath the limbs
crouched my turkey; his long neck stretched out and prone upon the ,
ground and his ~ye glistening; he evitlently thought himself secretly hid.
I dropped on my knees, 1 macle a dive beneath tlie limbs, clutched him
~bout the neck, just back of his 'head, and dragged him qut. As I I got'
upon my feet I- swung him over ·my shoulder and started for the field
while his kicking legs and flapping wings pounded a tattoo on my back.
I held that"'fieck with a grip of iron and as I clambered over logs, ducked
under brush, and rah tltrough openings, the struggles and pounding
gradually gre~ less and by, the time I hijd reached the fence he hung limp
anq ?ead from suffocation. , i , · ::
I cli?1bed on tbe f enc~ and stood on the topmost rail and paused
long enough to ~ve one long, loud hurrah; clambered down, and swinging
my -turkey over my shoulder started on the run across the fields for the
house as fast as my tired , ~egs could carry me, never forgetJing to give ,,
forth exulting shouts with each step and breath produced with all the
\ I.
lung power that was left within me.
At the house, with my sisters, I was a hero, and my cousin even in
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his disappointment, was compelled to admit that he was a "whoppin.g
gobbler." 1 ,
(
· My father and mother had been away for a visit overnight and would
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not rewrp until noon, so 1 gave my older sisters commands and instructions
as to how to scald and dress the pird with all the impo,rtance of a major-
general, and then started ba,ck to gather up the scattered fragments
aloJ;}g the way of my victorious march. Beginning ,with the hat I followed
the "trail" and collected gun, shot pouch and clothes.
During this time my plans for the day had matured. When ,1 arrived
home I issued orders accordingly. I brought in a tremendous lot of stove
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