Six birds out of one flock, with bows and arrows too."
"There were such a lot of them to shoot, though," said Chris, "and the
birds were all quite together. I say, Ned, look at this arrow. Gone
right through the neck.--Think they'll come back to look for more,
father?"
"No," was the reply. "I can just see them under the sun, riding right
away. We might go on now slowly if we keep in the thick grass."
The word was given, and all mounted, but not until Griggs had followed
the Indians' example of tying the two birds' legs together and swinging
them across his saddle-bow, Chris's proposal to carry his own capture
being negatived on the declaration that it would be much easier for two
to be carried together than one.
"You'll get your supper after all, Ned," said Chris, after they had been
riding slowly on through the grass as near to their trail as could be
guessed, for it was still considered advisable to keep as much under
cover as possible, the Indians' sense of sight being well known to be
very acute.
"There, you needn't try to joke about that," was the reply, in a weary,
querulous tone. "You're as fond of good things as I am."
"Never said I wasn't," cried Chris, laughing. "But I say, Griggs, we
must have one of those for supper to-night, no matter how late we are."
"All right," said the American. "I begin to feel as if I can pick a bit
myself; but you won't like raw turkey, will you?"
"Haw? Nonsense! We must make a good fire, and frizzle bits over the
embers."
"A good fire, to show the Indians where we've made our camp?"
"Oh!" exclaimed Chris. "I never thought of that," and he was silent for
a few minutes, but only to break out again with, "We shall be too far
off for any Indians to see, for we've got many miles to go yet to camp."
"And we can make our fire in the shelter of the trees," added Ned.
"That'll be all right. But I say, Griggs, you ought to begin picking
one of the birds at once, so as to be ready when we get back."
"To be sure," said Griggs; "capital idea. You're a nice fellow to take
care of yourself out in an Indian country!"
"What do you mean?" cried Ned.
"Preparing a trail for the savages to follow."
"I don't understand you."
"What! Didn't you propose that I should begin plucking the turkey and
sprinkling the feathers about as we go? Nice trail for the brutes to
follow. Why, if they picked it up they'd come along at a gallop."
"Yes," said the doctor, wh
|