What Might Have Been Expected

rkey-H

ht-hand barrel of his gun. Before long the tracks disappeared, and disappeared, too, directly in front of a hole in the bank; quite a large hole, big enough for a beave

earthly reason why the creature should not come out, except perhaps that it might not

assing on; and it began to be a little darkish, just a little

ing five dollars was surely worth waiting for a little while longer, and he mig

t it was not in the hole-not near him at all. It was farther along the

anding still, looking steadily at him. At least Harry thought he was, but there was so little light in the

ld not help thinking that boys were animals, but he did not suppose the man would want to shoot a bo

on. He was so quiet that the musk-rat-it was a musk-rat that lived in the hole-came out of his house, and seeing the boy so still, supposed he was no

like hours-he remained motionless.

ow!" h

!" said

bling and pale, and th

now what you wer

was Tony Kirk, sure enough, a man who

asked Tony, "a-squattin'

and then the remark about supper-time made him think of his sist

y. "What Kate? You do

of the creek. Tony followed, and when he reached the b

e!" falter

what was good for her. What's this?" His qu

at his side in an instant, and saw it was Kate's writing. It was almost too

, "and I must be after her

herin' sumac." Harry had read the paper aloud. "There's no use o'

g, and then he and Tony

ou after?"

s," sai

s he worked a little at farming and fished a little, he nearly always found it necessary to do something that related to turkeys. He watched their haunts, he calculated their in

early for turke

d Tony, "but I'm

riking out of the road into a narrow path in the wo

y follo

atter along the path, a grain or two at a time. After ten or fifteen minutes' walking, Tony scattering corn all the way, they came to a mass of oak and chestnut boughs, piled up on one side of the path like a barrier. This wa

d to comin' this way after it. Then I get back o' that thar at night and wait till the airly mornin', when they're sartin to come gobblin' alon

tired?" s

stop here. I want to be ready fur

to get home?

rack. It'll take yer straight to the

e?" said Harry. "I can't find th

my way with my eyes shut. And it would not do fur me to go. I'll make too much no

ave brought me here," s

hort way home," said Tony

ed to the right and stumbled over a root, dropping his bag and nearly losing his hold of his gun. He was soon

oods better than that, you might as well stay here with me. I'll take you home bright an' airly. You needn't trouble yerself about yer

g the mysteries of turkey-hunting and the delight of spending a night in the woods, where everything was so cool and dry and still.

ome, and as it was impossible for him to find his way out of the depths of the woods, he

vel your gun along that path, keepin' yer eye fixed straight in front of you, and after awhile you can begin to see things. Supp

sudden jump, he whispered, "Tony! it's moving." Tony did not answer for