im, I got a
good ready, and waited. Slowly and lazily he nuzzled his way among the
trees, sitting up occasionally to crunch acorns, until he was within
twenty-five yards of me, with the bright bead neatly showing at the
butt of his ear, and he sitting on his haunches, calmly chewing his
acorns, oblivious of danger. He was the shortest-legged, blackest and
glossiest bear I had ever seen; and such a fair shot. But I could not
use either skin or meat, and he was a splendid picture just as he sat.
Shot down and left to taint the blessed air, he would not look as
wholesome, let alone that it would be unwarrantable murder. And so,
when he came nosing under the very tree where I was sitting, I suddenly
jumped up, threw my hat at him and gave a Comanche yell. He tumbled
over in a limp heap, grunting and whining for very terror, gathered
himself up, got up headway and disappeared with wonderful speed--
considering the length of his legs.

On another occasion--and this was in heavy timber--I was resting on a
log, partially concealed by spice bushes, when I noticed a large flock
of turkeys coming in my direction. As they rapidly advanced with their
quick, gliding walk, the flock grew to a drove, the drove became a
swarm--an army. To right and on the left, as far as I could see in
front, a legion of turkeys were marching, steadily marching to the
eastward. Among them were some of the grandest gobblers I had ever
seen, and one magnificent fellow came straight toward me. Never before
or since have I seen such a splendid wild bird. His thick, glossy black
beard nearly reached the ground, his bronze uniform was of the richest,
and he was decidedly the largest I have ever seen. When within fifty
feet of the spot where I was nearly hidden, his wary eye caught
something suspicious; and he raised his superb head for an instant in
an attitude of motionless attention. Then, with lowered head and
drooping tail, he turned right about, gave the note of alarm, put the
trunk of a large tree quickly between himself and the enemy, and went
away like the wind. With the speed of thought the warning note was
sounded along the whole line and in a moment the woods seemed alive
with turkeys, running for dear life. In less time than it takes to tell
it, that gallinaceous army had passed out of sight, forever. And the
like of it will never again be possible on this continent.

And again, on the morning of the sixth day out, I blundered on to such
an aggr