He could hear Scarlet talking..."This adds to the degree of difficulty."
Fritz laughed, but only on the inside. The sound of the set trigger had scared the tom off, and it had taken almost an hour to call him back. He'd considered using the '66 for the hunt, but Fritz only had a limited amount of ammo for the carbine. When it was gone, that was that. He had plenty of government .45 ammo, and he'd be able to replenish what he used.
Fritz was a patient man, but his body wasn't as patient as it once was. His forearms were tingling, and his right foot was asleep. There was no way he could hit the bobbing and weaving head at this range, but Fritz figured if he hit the body where the neck met, he could take him.
Fritz held his breath, and touched the trigger. The report echoed across the landscape. The other birds scattered. The tom's neck and head disappeared. It stood there for a moment, blood pumping from the stump. It took a step, and fell dead.
Fritz levered himself up. The pain would pass. He had his dinner. He walked forward the collected the bird.
"Lord, thank you for the gifts you have bestowed," he said, then walked back to the spot where Strider and Buddy were tethered.