Page:Aristopia (1895).pdf/44

 of foot, and he went much farther than he intended. As he ascended the creek the region became picturesquely hilly, and in some places cliffs of dark rock towered up far above the rippling waters. He saw no game worth shooting at within good range. At last he heard the cry of a wild turkey-gobbler (which he had learned to distinguish) up on the hill away from the creek. Cautiously going toward the sound, he soon came in sight of a fine gobbler, strutting up and down a fallen log in a little open space within fair range. Ralph took careful aim and fired, putting a hall through the base of the turkey's neck.

Picking up his game, he turned back toward the creek, but as he was rather tired he concluded to rest a little, and sat down on a dike of quartz which barely projected above the thin soil. The sun was getting high, and a beam came down through a rift in the foliage high above, falling upon the dike near Ralph. He gazed idly at the bright spot on the ground. At last he became aware of a tiny sparkle between the white fragments of quartz. He soon became curious about it, and on examination found it came from a scratch on a lump of something the upper surface of which was