AMUSING INCIDENT. 221 



to tear from her moorings. Pussy soon found that 

 escape was impossible, so satisfied herself by express- 

 ing 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 crawl- 

 ing 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 puss would make a 

 struggle, and the intruding bird would precipitately 

 retreat several paces. Being ambitious to follow the 

 example of their leader, a younger bird would now 

 advance to be frightened off in the same manner as 



