54 HOW HE TAKES HIS REVENGE. 



her earth, when two of the cubs were killed, and a third cap- 

 tured alive. This the Inspector carried home, and^in the 

 evening secured him with a chain to a tree, immediately in 

 front of, and near to his own bed-room window. 



" On the following morning, at an early hour, a person 

 was directed to ascertain how Michel fared. He was found 

 to be not only alive and well, but the strange apparition of 

 a headless turkey was observed lying beside him. The girl 

 who had care of the poultry was forthwith summoned 

 to the presence, and on being questioned, confessed, with 

 tears in her eyes, that having been at the ' digging out/ 

 on the preceding day, she, on her return home, had neg- 

 lected to secure her charge ; and the consequence was some- 

 what serious, for on search being made, thirteen other 

 turkeys, concealed some in one place and some in another, 

 were found to have paid the penalty of their lives. They 

 had beyond doubt been killed by the mother of the cubs, 

 and as it would really appear, out of revenge for the destruc- 

 tion of her offspring; for prior to this period neither the 

 turkeys, nor other of the poultry, had been in any way 

 molested during that particular summer." 



If the following story is to be believed, sudden fright would 

 seem to act as a drastic dose as well on foxes as on bipeds. 



" In a small town, where the police were not very 

 rigid, and the fowls were allowed to walk about the 

 streets undisturbed, it happened during the past summer 

 that one or more of these feathered beauties daily dis- 

 appeared. The virtuous wives of the burghers waited un- 

 availingly the return of their favourites; but these not 

 making their appearance, a strict eye was kept on the 

 remainder of the hens, and it was soon discovered that a 



