Soon after, he killed two more squirrels.  Just as he was reloading his gun, a large flock of fat turkeys rose from the marshy banks of the creek along which they were wandering, and flying but a short distance, relighted.  Vanzant crept forward, and aiming at a large gobbler, fired, and brought him down.  The flock immediately flew back to near the spot where Crockett stood.  He levelled his rifle, took deliberate aim, and another fine turkey fell.  The flock then disappeared.

The two hunters made the forest resound with shouts of triumph.  They had two large, fat turkeys, which would be looked at wistfully upon any gourmand’s table, and for side-dishes they had three squirrels.  Thus they were prepared for truly a thanksgiving feast.  Hastily they returned with their treasure, when they learned that the others of their party had found a bee-tree, that is, a tree where a swarm of bees had taken lodgment, and were laying in their winter stores.  They cut down the tree with their hatchets, and obtained an ample supply of wild honey.  They all felt that they had indeed fallen upon a vein of good luck.

It was but a short distance from the creek to the gigantic forest, rising sublimely in its luxuriance, with scarcely an encumbering shrub of undergrowth.  They entered the edge of the forest, built a hot fire, roasted their game, and, while their horses were enjoying the richest of pasturage, they, with their keen appetites, enjoyed a more delicious feast than far-famed Delmonico ever provided for his epicurean guests.

The happy party, rejoicing in the present, and taking no thought for the morrow, spent the night in this camp of feasting.  The next morning they were reluctant to leave such an inviting hunting-ground.  Crockett and Vanzant again took to their rifles, and strolled into the forest in search of game.  Soon they came across a fine buck, which seemed to have tarried behind to watch the foe, while the rest of the herd, of which he was protector, had taken to flight.  The beautiful creature, with erect head and spreading antlers, gallantly stopping to investigate the danger to which his family was exposed, would have moved the sympathies of any one but a professed hunter.  Crockett’s bullet struck him, wounded him severely, and he limped away.  Hotly the two hunters pursued.  They came to a large tree which had been blown down, and was partly decayed.  An immense grizzly bear crept growling from the hollow of this tree, and plunged into the forest.  It was in vain to pursue him, without dogs to retard his flight.  They however soon overtook the wounded buck, and shot him.  With this treasure of venison upon their shoulders, they had but just returned to their camp when the main body of the army came up.  The game which Crockett had taken, and upon which they had feasted so abundantly, if divided among twelve hundred men, would not have afforded a mouthful apiece.

The army was in the most deplorable condition of weakness and hunger.  Ere long they reached the Coosa, and followed up its eastern bank.  About twenty miles above the spot where they struck the river there was a small military post, called Fort Decatur.  They hoped to find some food there.  And yet, in that remote, almost inaccessible station, they could hardly expect to meet with anything like a supply for twelve hundred half-famished men.