as to imagine he were cut out for a mighty Nimrod.

Several times he stumbled over unseen roots of the ever-present saw
palmetto. Fortunately he did not have the hammer of his gun raised at
the time, or there might have been a premature explosion.

When twenty minutes had gone he was beginning to feel angry at himself
because he had voluntarily undertaken this task, for which nature had
never fitted him.

Still, he was possessed of some grit, and disliked very much the idea
of showing the white feather. At any rate, he would keep away the full
hour, and then try to locate the camp. Phil could not then have the
laugh on him; for even the best of hunters have their hard luck days.

Several times he saw frisky squirrels looking curiously at him around
some tree. He was even tempted to try and bag a few of these little
fellows, for after all they were game; and perhaps more in his line
than swift flying quail, or the bounding deer. But every time he thus
decided, the squirrel seemed to guess his hostile intentions; for it
vanished from sight, running up the other side of the live oak, and
losing itself amid the abundant foliage.

Now half an hour had gone. It was really time he turned back, and
headed for the motor boat. That caused Larry to wonder if he could
actually figure out which the proper direction might be; so he sat him
down on a log for a brief rest, while he carried on his mental
calculations. When he started on again Larry actually believed he was
pushing straight for camp; when truth to tell he was heading at an
angle of thirty degrees away from the same.

Then, as he was stumbling along through the scrub, lo! and behold he
saw a moving object ahead. What it was he did not even know as he
threw the gun to his shoulder, completely shut his eyes when pulling
the trigger, and blazed away.

When he looked again it was to see a big turkey gobbler fluttering
along over the ground, with a broken leg and wing. Filled with great
joy Larry gave a whoop, and started in pursuit. That was his undoing.

Little he thought of what a chase that stricken gobbler was giving him.
In and out of the swampy places, and through the more open woods, he
kept in pursuit.

There were times when he actually was so close upon the prize that he
began to thrust out his eager hand, bent on capturing the wounded bird.
Then, as if given a new lease of life, the turkey would again flutter
away, with the panting Larry hot on