THE PLACE OF THE BIG BUCK.
An exclamation of disgust left the Woodranger’s lips, and at the same
moment his long rifle leaped to his shoulder. No sooner had his eye
ran along its barrel than the ringing report of the firearm awoke the
solitude of the forest. So swiftly had one act followed another, that
the triumphant cry of the nimble assailant ended in a howl of pain,
while it made a second involuntary leap into the air in the struggles
of death. It fell about midway between the little group of spectators
and the now lifeless turkey.
“Rob me o’ my dinner in that way, will ye, ye sneaking thief! I reckon
it will be the last turkey you’ll ever try to carry off afore my eyes.”
With these words, showing more excitement than was his wont, the
Woodranger began to leisurely reload his weapon.
“What is it?” asked Johnny, without stopping to look at the creature;
“and where did the turkeys go to so quick?”
“It’s a cat, lad, and a monster. It thought to cheat us o’ our dinner,
but I reckon Ol’ Danger gin it a dinner it won’t digest. Let’s take a
peep at the creatur’.”
As the Woodranger had said, the wildcat, for such it was, was a big
one, and as it lay there, though harmless enough then, the boys could
not help shuddering. They found the turkey dead, too, though its slayer
had not mutilated its body.
“It’ll make us a good dinner,” declared the Woodranger, “and half a
mile yon is a fit spot for us to make our nooning. First I’m going to
skin the cat. While I’m doing it, you might pluck the gobbler.”
The spot selected by the Woodranger for a stopping-place was in one
of the most beautiful valleys they had ever seen. Through the centre
a good-sized brook ran merrily on its way, while a pine-clad hill on
the north completely sheltered them from the cold wind, and the sun
shone down upon the spot with a genial warmth. The boys at once set
about gathering some dried wood with which to build a fire. During one
of these searching trips, Norman ran upon an apple-tree standing in a
sheltered nook, which was still laden with fruit. These apples were
uncommonly large and fair for wild fruit, and so well had the tree
been protected from the frosts that they still retained their flavour.
Upon tasting one of them and finding it so good, Norman called to the
others to join him.
Such a feast of fruit followed as none of them had ever enjoyed, while
the Woodranger was nothing loath to eat his share. In the joy of this
find, the turkey feast was put in the background, and baked apples
became an important part of that festive meal.
“I wonder if the Injuns ever eat any apples?” said Billy, regardless of
his grammar.
“Weel, lad, do not flatter yourself that they have never been to this
very tree. I have heerd o’ there being sich a tree somewhere in these
parts, but I ne’er had the good fortune to stumble upon it. Apples and
nuts made a goodish part o’ the living o’ the reds during the autumn.
I must say these are the best apples I ever tasted. Neither does this
turkey require much effort to swallow. It was a plump creature.”
“Do wildcats often attack turkeys in that way?” asked Billy, as
they finally moved back from their dinner, to seek comfortable
resting-places for half an hour before resuming their wanderings.
“That is the cat’s favourite way,” replied the Woodranger, as he made
himself comfortable at the foot of an ash which threw out its gnarled
roots in such a way as to afford arms upon which to rest. “In fact,
it is their only successful way. The turkey is a wary bird, and the
wildcat is its worst enemy. Still, the four-footed creatur’ stands
but leetle chance o’ ketching even a young turkey, so cautious is it
by instinct, and so fleet o’ foot. You have seen how it can get out o’
the way o’ danger, to-day. Afore you could wink an eye, every one was
out o’ sight, and a goodish hunt you would have had to find one on ’em.
The cat knows that its only chance o’ ketching a turkey is by springing
from a tree, so it resorts to a trick. Ah! the cat is as full o’ quirks
and quibbles as a porkypine is o’ quills.
“Getting its evil eye on a brood o’ turkeys, instead o’ trying to keep
them from knowing it is round, it takes particular pains to be seen.
It steals up behind ’em, until it is seen, when it steals away with
well-feigned sheepishness. Then it reappears, and, after having got
the attention o’ the turkeys, skulks out o’ sight ag’in. This it keeps
doing until it has got the direction the turkeys are going fixed in its
cunning head. After that, it steals away by a roundabout course and
conceals itself in the path of the turkeys, where it waits till they
come along. Thinking their enemy is behind them, the turkeys are not
so watchful in front, and so they fall into the trap. You have seen
the result o’ the cat’s manœuvring to-day. It is not often at this
season one sees such a brood o’ turkeys still together, but these were,
doubtless, on their way to the sea-coast, where they like to spend
their winters, to return in the spring.”
After a short rest, the party again were on the move, and, having
now fairly entered the game-lands, were wide-awake for sport and
adventure. The incidents of that afternoon were rapid and exciting
enough to satisfy their most prodigal desires, but it would be scarcely
interesting to detail them all. Norman and Rob each shot a deer, while
of smaller game they got more than they could well care for. The deer
they dressed, and the Woodranger spitted the meat upon tall, slender
saplings, from whence it could be taken home whenever they could do so,
while in the meantime it was safe from the clutches of prowling beasts.
Finally, as the sunlight was fading from the corrugated crest of Mount
Pawtuckaway, toward which they had been going all day, the Woodranger
halted at the foot of a high, moss-covered cliff, near the base of the
mountain, saying, as he cast his keen eyes about him:
“I ne’er think we shall find a likelier place to pitch our camp. It is
well protected from the north and west; there be plenty o’ pines to get
your boughs for your bed; and here be a goodish fountain o’ the purest
water in the world. I see no need to go farther, and I jedge you lads
are tired enough to be glad to hear the news.”