On they went, with caution now, and their shotguns ready for instant use. They were within a hundred feet of the shelter, and could see the dim outline through the driving snow.
“Wild turkeys!” suddenly called Harry. “Be careful, we must get as many of them as we can!”
He motioned to a little cleared space just ahead. Then, with guns pointed, they ran forward.
Bang! bang! Both of the firearms spoke in rapid succession. There was a rush and a strange squawking sound, and then the greater part of a flock of wild turkeys had disappeared in the storm. But the heavy charges had hit three of them, and they were now floundering around in their death struggles. The boys ran forward and soon put them out of their misery.
“That’s a good haul!” cried Jack, enthusiastically. “Now we won’t starve for a day or two at least.”
“Right you are,” returned Harry, as he picked the game up, placed two in his own bag and one in his companion’s, and hurried to reload. “But we mustn’t miss any other game that may be here.”
“Certainly not,” said Jack, and he reloaded also, and away they went along the bottom of the cliff.
In a few minutes they stirred up a whole flock of wild birds of several kinds from the brush under the rocks. They fired in the midst of them, bringing down several woodcock and three sparrows.
“That isn’t bad,” said Jack, as he picked up the woodcock and allowed the sparrows to remain where they were. “It was a good idea of yours to come here.”
“I was in hopes we might strike a deer,” returned Harry. “But we have now about as much as we can conveniently carry through such traveling as this.”