MY OLD FRIEND NICK 61 



plant and methods. His idea was original, amus- 

 ing, and effective. In a spacious and well-venti- 

 lated room he had arranged a series of boxes 

 containing the nests of straw, upon each of which 

 a hen was thrust, with a ventilated cover of 

 boards super-imposed; and a huge stone upon 

 that served to keep straw, hen, and eggs firmly in 

 place. Each day the hens were liberated in re- 

 lays, allowed twenty minutes to feed, drink, dust 

 and stretch, and at the expiration of the recess, 

 were chased, caught, and re-imprisoned amid a 

 chorus of squawks, a shower of dust and feathers, 

 and original outbursts of language from Nick. 



In spite of this rough method, his success was 

 phenomenal, and about four hundred chickens 

 arrived in due time. A few days previous to their 

 arrival Nick had made a further demand for 

 funds to purchase barrels, corn-meal, cracked 

 corn, wheat-screenings, baker's waste, barley, 

 and other necessary supplies. 



The barrels were arranged facing the east, 

 the open ends flush with the ground, the closed 

 ends depressed a few inches. I demurred to this 

 arrangement fearing the effect of the east wind, 

 but was silenced when Nick replied, - 



"Aye, mon, doost tha not know th' soon cooms 

 oop i' th' east ? An 't is th' soon thot makes cheeks 

 grow." 



This seemed truly plausible and I subsided. 



