Southern Historical Society Papers, Volume 18.
Reverend J. William Jones, Ed.

[177]

One day at Sweet Chalybeate Springs a party of us, as usual, assembled before dinner around one of John Dabney's great hail-storm juleps. The General was sitting near the baluster of the portico, which overlooked the wall beneath, and deep in some narrative, when he was interrupted by a shriek which startled us all and broke in upon his story. After looking over to learn the cause of such a yell, he recommenced his story, but was again interrupted as before. Again he looked and then again resumed, only to be interrupted a third time. Then, fierce as Mars, he looked down upon the screamer and said: ‘Why don't you run away? Why don't you run away?’ I suggested, ‘Well, that's fine advice for a great general to give.’ Turning savagely upon me he said, ‘If she will not fight, sir, is not the best thing for her to do to run away, sir?’ Mrs. Johnston, with a burst of her hearty laugh, said, ‘That used to be your plan always, I know, sir.’ This relieved us all, and we burst into a laugh in which he joined as heartily as any.

A terrible gobbler.

The cause of all of this disturbance was a young women in a red cloak, upon whom a turkey gobbler charged. The girl stood still and shrieked with fear. The gobbler then wheeled in retreat, only to make another charge on the paralyzed women, whose only recourse each time was to shake herself and shriek until somebody came and drove the gobbler away.