230 PRAIRIE AND FOREST. 



which I made fast to a long horizontal branch, about five 

 feet from the ground. Thus the cat could lie down or 

 stand up, but not go sufficiently far to lay hold of anything 

 with her claws to assist her to tear from her moorings. 

 Pussy soon found that escape was impossible, so satisfied 

 herself by expressing her feelings of disappointment by 

 giving vent to low, piteous cries. 



Off I went after the deer. From the woodland they had 

 crossed a small enclosure of tobacco, proceeded through a 

 belt of brushwood, and entered my corn-field. Making a 

 circle to get the wind, I carefully entered the maize, and 

 after half-an-hour's diligent search, during the greater part 

 of which I was crawling on my hands and knees, I viewed 

 the dusky hide of a well-fed doe, which I brought down at 

 the first shot. 



Having secured my prey I returned for pussy, and, as 

 chance would have it, I approached up wind the place 

 where she was tied. If I had forgotten her exact position, 

 I could easily have found it by her piteous mewings. When 

 within fifty yards of where she was, on looking to my front, 

 to my surprise, I saw nine full-grown wild turkeys around 

 her, and so remarkable was their conduct that I halted to 

 witness it. 



The ringleader of this coterie was a very large old cock 

 bird, his companions young males and hens. In a circle 

 of a few yards in diameter they stood around my pet, their 

 necks either stretched forward to their greatest length, or 

 their heads hoisted knowingly on one side. The leader, 

 who seemed the bravest of the party, slowly would advance 

 till he was almost within pecking distance of the cat, then 



