ng at
the foot of a tree, when Gringalet pricked up his ears, and running up
the opposite slope of the mountain, barked as loudly as if he saw
another porcupine. I also made my way there, and heard 'gobbles'
resounding in every direction; Master Gringalet had fallen in with a
council of turkeys."

"A council of turkeys?" repeated Lucien.

"Yes, Chanito, turkeys hold councils. They generally travel in flocks
and on foot, although they know perfectly well how to fly when they want
to cross a stream or to make their escape; and when one of them wants to
communicate his opinion to another, he raises a cry, and his companions
form a circle round him."

"And what takes place then?"

"The preacher," continued l'Encuerado, without the least idea of
irreverence, "lowers his neck and then lifts it up again, raises up the
hair-like feathers on his crop, and spreads out his tail like a fan. He
then addresses the assembled birds, who strut about with their wings
half opened, and answer him with approving gobbles."

The Indian, carried away by his narrative, added gestures to words,
strutted about, rounded his arms and lowered his chin upon his breast,
in order to imitate the ways of the birds which he was describing.

"But what do they say?" asked Lucien, archly.

"That depends on circumstances," he replied, scratching his forehead.
"The flock just now surprised must have cried out: 'What is this
animal?'--'A dog,' would be the answer of the most knowing among them.
'Fly, my friends, fly!' he would cry; 'dogs are always accompanied by
men, and men have guns.' 'A gun! what's that?'--'A machine that goes
_boum_ and kills turkeys.' Then I make my appearance; they bustle about,
fly away, and spread in every direction; but my gun had time to go
_boum_ and to kill this beautiful bird."

I need scarcely say what mirth was excited by this account. While
returning to our bivouac, Sumichrast told Lucien that the turkey is a
native of America, and that it was introduced by the Jesuits into
Europe, where it flourished well. In a domestic state, the color of its
plumage altered to a reddish, a white, and a gray and black color. But
it never lost the habit of walking about in flocks, and of laying its
eggs in thickets, in a shapeless nest, which the young chicks leave the
second day after they are hatched. Lastly, the Aztec name of the
turkey--_totole_--is applied by the Indians to simpletons and cowards.

Lucien then told l'Encuerado