50 THE TURKEYS' GROUND. 



of the damage committed in his maize plantations by a 

 flock of turkeys, which would not yield to intimidation, 

 and seemed even to defy the murderous gun. He adopted 

 the following method of obtaining his end. A large trench 

 was excavated by his orders ; he sprinkled grains of maize 

 over the bottom ; and having loaded a blunderbuss 

 to the very muzzle, he so fixed the murderous weapon 

 that, being elevated on a couple of spars, it commanded 

 the whole trench. To the trigger of the blunderbuss he 

 fastened a thread, which he proposed to pull at a suitable 

 opportunity, from the covert afforded by a neighbouring 

 bush. The turkeys soon discovered the trench and the 

 maize, and devoured every grain, without ceasing, how- 

 ever, to commit their depredations in the neighbouring 

 fields. 



The gentleman farmer renewed the bait several times, 

 and the poultry soon grew so accustomed to seek their 

 food in this particular locality, that the negroes of the 

 plantation christened it with the name of the " Turkeys' 

 Ground." 



One evening, before sunset, the squire thought an 

 opportune moment had arrived for making use of his in- 

 fernal machine. Behold him creeping along, on hands 

 and knees, to the spot where his blunderbuss was secreted. 

 He pulls the thread, the powder ignites, and he hears, 

 predominant above the explosion, a terrible noise the 

 cries of the dying, and the flutter of the wings of those 

 who, having escaped death, were flying afar from the 

 scene of slaughter. Forty-three victims were found in 

 the trench ; some dead, others still stumbling to and fro, 

 and others struggling in the last convulsions. 



" It was an amazing sight ! " said the Yankee farmer, 



