"This is very extraordinary," said the Tunker, "very extraordinary. We do not have in Germany any stories like that. I hardly know what my people would say to such a story as that. This is a very extraordinary country—very extraordinary."
"I can tell you a wedding story worth two o' that," said Uncle John Hanks. "Why, that ain't nowhere to it.—Now, Aunt Injiany, you wait, and set still. I'm goin' to tell the elder about the 'Two Turkey-Calls.'"
The Tunker only said, "This is all very extraordinary." Uncle John crossed his legs and bent forward his long whiskers, stretched out one arm, and was about to begin, when Aunt Olive said:
"You wait, John Hanks—you wait. I'm goin' to tell the elder that there story myself."
John Hanks never disputed with Aunt Olive.
"Well, tell it," said he, and the backwoods woman began:
"'Tis a master-place to get married out here. There's a great many more men than women in the timber, and the men get lonesome-like, and no man is a whole man without a wife. Men ought not to live alone anywhere. They can not out here. Well, well, the timber is full of wild turkeys, especially in the fall of the year, but they are hard to shoot. The best way to get a shot at a turkey is by a turkey-call. You never heard one, did you? You are not to blame for bein' ignorant. It is like this—"
Aunt Indiana put her hands to her mouth like a shell, and blew a low, mysterious whistle.
"Well, there came a young settler from Kentucky and took up a claim on Pigeon Creek; and there came a widow from Ohio and took a claim about three miles this side of him, and neither had seen the other. Well, well, one shiny autumn mornin' each of them took in to their heads to go out turkey-huntin', and curiously enough each started along the creek toward each other. The girl's name was Nancy, and the man's name was Albert. Nancy started down the creek, and Albert up the creek, and each had a right good rifle.
"Nancy stood still as soon as she found a hollow place in the timber, put up her hand—so—and made a turkey-call—so—and listened.