Johnny, too, was in some doubt, and as it was already
growing dark and they had been traveling in the swamp for an hour or
two, he proposed that they camp right where they were.

"How can we camp here? Water's knee-deep, there's no place for a
fire, and I'd starve to death before morning. Don't you expect to
have anything to eat until to-morrow?"

"Bet yer I do! What's the matter with young turkey?"

"Young turkey's bully, but raw turkey's bum."

Johnny laughed and waded to where a fallen tree had left a level
place among its upturned roots. A few minutes' work with the
hatchet, which Johnny always carried when hunting, cleared out a
good foundation for a fire.

"Bully for you! I'll dress the turkey while you build a fire," said
Dick.

By the time the bird was ready for the frying-pan, Johnny had not
only built the fire, but had cut a lot of poles and rigged up a
rough cot between the fallen tree and a rotten log that lay near it.
Johnny cut some thin slices of bacon for the frying-pan and then
filled it with thick slices and chunks of turkey. When this had been
cooked and disposed of, Dick still looked hungry, and another panful
of the bird was fried. Dick slept some during the night, but
complained that he had a map of his bunk on his back, which had been
printed deeply. When breakfast was over and the last bone of the
turkey had been picked, the boys turned their faces to the east and
started for their camp. They soon reached an open glade, which was
quite unfamiliar to them, and were about to enter it, when Johnny,
who was ahead, slipped behind a tree and held up his hand warningly
to Dick, who promptly got behind another. Two deer were in the
opening, about a hundred yards to windward of the boys, toward whom
they were slowly feeding. Dick was excited and was nervously raising
his rifle, when Johnny whispered:

"Don't hurry. Got lots o' time."

Dick was ashamed of his nervousness, and determined to conquer it,
even if he didn't fire at all. One of the deer was a buck with fine
antlers, and Dick watched his slow advance, as he looked around for
a moment and then browsed for a minute or two, until the boy felt
that his nerves were steady once more. The buck was within fifty
yards when Dick lifted the rifle to his shoulder and let his cheek
rest upon its stock. In another instant the hunted deer had caught
sight of the hunter, but it was too late. The beautiful creature
stood motionless for half a minute,