ROBINSON CRUSOE.  1e3

it with a hedge; which I did with a great deal -of toil, and the
more because it required speed. However, as my arable land
was but small, suited to my crop, I got it totally well fenced in
about three weeks’ time ; and shooting some of the creatures
in the daytime, I set my dog to guard it in the night, tying him
up to a stake at the gate, where he would stand and bark all
night long: so in a little time the enemies forsook the place,
and the corn grew very strong and well, and began to ripen
apace,

But as the beasts ruined me before, while my corn was in
the blade, so the birds were as likely to ruin me now, when it
was in the ear; for going along by the place to see how it
throve, I saw my little crop surrounded with fowls, of I know

not how many sorts, who stood, as it were, watching till I should
_ be gone. I immediately let fly among them, for I always had
my gun with me. I had no sooner shot, but there rose up a
little cloud of fowls, which I had not seen at all, from among
the corn itself.

This touched me sensibly, for I foresaw that in a few days
they would devour all my hopes ; that I should be starved, and
never be able to raise a crop at all; and what more to do I
could not tefl; however, I resolved not to lose my corn, if
possible, though I should watch it night and day. In the first
place, I were among it, to see what damage was already done,
and found they had spoiled a good deal of it; but that as it
was yet to green for them, the loss was not so great but that
the remainder was likely to be a good crop, if it could be
saved,

I staid by it to load my gun, and then coming away, I could
easily see the thieves sitting upon all the trees about me, as if
they only waited till I was gone away, and the event proved it
to be so; for as I walked off, asif Iwas gone, I wasno sooner
out of their sight, than they dropped down one by one into the
corn again. I was so provoked, that I could not have’ patience
to stay till more came on, knowing that every grain that they
ate now was, as it might be said, a peck-loaf to me in the con-
sequence ; but coming up to the hedge, I fired again, and killed
three of them. This was what I wished for; so I took them
up, and served them as we serve notorious thieves in England—
hanged them in chains, for a terror to others. It is impossible
to imagine that this should have such an effect as it had, for
the fowls would not only not come at the corn, but, in short,
they forsook all that part of the island, and I could never see
a bird near the place as long as my scare-crows hung there,

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