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, to tie the birds' legs together tightly so that a couple of the fierce-looking fellows could hang them across their ponies' necks. This done, amidst a good deal of grinning and gabbling perfectly incomprehensible to the listeners, the Indians mounted again and sat gazing with shaded eyes across the grassy plain, till, apparently satisfied of the direction their companions had taken, one of them uttered a deep-toned _Hugh_! and rode off, followed by the rest. "What an escape!" sighed the doctor, after waiting till the party was well out of hearing. "It is marvellous that they did not see us." "They had no eyes for that, sir," said Griggs. "They expected to find turkey, and they were too much on the watch for the birds to be looking for us. They had no suspicion of our being near." "But the wretches have carried off our supplies," said Ned bitterly. "Hallo! What's that?" said Chris, as a flapping noise was heard in the grass. He did not wait for an answer to his question, but forced his way through the grass towards the spot whence the sound had come. "Look out," he shouted, for there was a beating of wings, and a big bird rose from close to his right-hand, passing out of his reach, but not to escape, for the next moment there was a dull thud and a fall, for as it passed over him Griggs had struck at it with his rifle-barrel, breaking its wing. The fall was followed by a repetition of the beating which had first taken the boy's attention. "I thought that wasn't the one I heard," he cried, and pushing forward he literally threw himself upon another of the birds, lying in the thick grass and frantically beating its wings with such violence that it levelled the grass for some distance round. "Take care," cried the doctor warningly; "they can strike very hard with their wings." "I've found that out," grumbled Chris bitterly, as he winced from a couple of blows, but retaliated with such vigorous action by means of the butt of his rifle that the beating ceased, the great bird's head fell over, and the prize lay inert. "Splendid!" cried Wilton and Bourne in a breath, as, hot and panting, Chris dragged his capture to where his companions stood watching the encounter. "They did not take much pains about retrieving their game," said the doctor. "Sign that it's too plentiful for them to need it, sir," said Griggs, laughing. "I say; they're not bad shots, to bring a lot like that down flying.
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