was up to his shoulder in a
moment; and after the crack, the bird was heard tumbling and fluttering
through the leaves. Marengo sprang upon it as it came to the ground;
but his master, leaping from his horse, scolded him off, and took up the
game which was found to be quite dead.

Lucien now remounted: and, as he rode out into the open ground, he could
see Basil far off upon the prairies. He was going at full gallop; and
the gobbler with outspread wings was seen some distance ahead of him,
running like an ostrich! Both Basil and gobbler soon disappeared to his
view--lost behind one of the timber islets. Lucien looked for Francois.
The latter was nowhere to be seen--having pursued his gobbler in a
direction where the groves were more thickly studded over the prairie.
Thinking it would be of no use to follow either of them, Lucien rode
slowly back to where Jeanette had been left upon the edge of the forest.
Here he dismounted, and sat down to await the return of his brothers.

Basil's chase proved a longer one than he had expected. He had chosen
the biggest of the birds; and, no doubt, the strongest and toughest.
His gobbler, at the first flight, made a clear stretch of nearly a mile;
and, when he alighted again, ran like a scared cat. But Basil was not
to be discouraged; and, keeping the spurs well to his horse, soon gained
upon him. The turkey again took to his wings, dropping down another
half mile in the advance. Again Basil galloped up; and once more the
old cock rose into the air--this time flying only about a hundred yards
before he alighted. Basil was soon up to him with his fleet horse; but
the gobbler was now unable to fly any farther. He could run, however,
at a good rate; and where there was an uphill in the prairie he ran
faster than the horse. Downhill, the latter gained upon him; and thus
they went, until the bird began to double and circle about, showing all
the symptoms of weariness. Several times the horse ran over him, the
turkey on these occasions turning and taking the back-track.

The chase was prolonged for a considerable time. The bird, at length,
became completely exhausted; and squatting down, thrust his head and
long neck among the weeds, like the ostrich, thinking himself thus
hidden from his pursuer. Basil now drew his horse's rein, raised his
long rifle, and the next moment a bullet passed through the gobbler, and
stretched him dead upon the grass.

Basil then dismounted; and