Frank's relaxed a little, too; for, serious as his dilemma had seemed a minute since, he could not but be amused by the man's undoubting recognition of _that_ gobble.
"All turkeys make a noise alike," said Frank.
"No they don't, no they don't!" said the man, positively,--no doubt fearing a plot to get the fowl away from him, and anxious to set up his claim in season. "I reckon I know about turkeys. Hear that?"--as the sound was heard again, still at a distance. "That's my bird. I should know that gobble among five hundred."
Frank suppressed his merriment, thinking that now was his time to get away.
"Well," said he, "unless you'll sell me the bird, I don't know that there's any use of my going any farther with you."
He expected a repetition of the refusal to sell, when he would have the best excuse in the world for making his escape. But Buckley was still suspicious of some trick,--fearing, perhaps, that Frank would run off and get help to secure the turkey.
"We'll see; we'll see. Wait till we get the bird," said the man. "You've done me a good turn telling me about him, and mayhap I'll sell him to you for your honesty. But wait a bit; wait a bit."
They were fast approaching the bushes where the supposed turkey was.
"Quit, quit, quit! Gobble, obble, obble!" said the pretended fowl.
"He _must_ know now," thought Frank, with renewed apprehension; but he dared not run.
In fact, the old fellow was beginning to see that his recognition of _his_ gobbler had been premature. A patch of blue uniform was visible through the brush. The rebel stopped, and drew up his gun. As Hamlet killed Polonius for a rat, so would he kill a Yankee for a turkey. Click! the piece was cocked and aimed.
"Here, you old clodhopper, you; don't you shoot! don't you shoot!" screamed Seth Tucket, rushing wildly out of the bushes just as the rebel pulled the trigger.
In the mean time the boys watching from their ambush, and seeing that the rebel had gone off with Frank, but left his dog and negro behind, armed themselves with clubs. When all was ready, Winch gave the word, and forward they dashed at the doublequick, clearing more than half the space intervening between them and the barns, before they were discovered by the enemy. Then the dog bounded out with a bark, and the old negro began to "holler," and the rebel's wife and daughter ran out and screamed, and an old negress also appeared, brandishing a broom, and adding her voice to the chorus.