134 



THE PASSENGER PIG-EON IN PENNSYLVANIA 



"Fire!" cried' the Sheriff, clapping a coal to the 

 priming of the cannon. As half of Benjamin's charge 

 escaped through the touch-hole, the whole volley of 

 the musketry preceded the report of the swivel. On 

 receiving this united discharge of small-arms, the front 

 of the flock darted upwards, while at the same instant 

 myriads of those in the rear rushed with amazing 

 rapidity into their places, so that when the column of 

 white smoke gushed from the mouth of the cannon, 

 an accumulated mass of objects was gliding over its 

 point of direction. The roar of the gun echoed along 

 the mountains, and died away to the north, like distant 

 thunder, while the whole flock of alarmed birds 

 seemed, for a moment, thrown into one disorderly 

 and agitated mass. (Then they collected the dead 

 birds and everybody joined in the feasting.) 



