:::::::::*; TWO BIRD-LOVERS IN MEXICO B-'--- 



Not only were we made aw^are of the presence of 

 many creatures about our camp at night by their 

 shadows, the sounds of their footsteps, and their voices, 

 but musky scents were wafted abroad, pungent and 

 penetrating, or deHcate and barely perceptible. Twice 

 when a musky odour filled the air, I caught a glimpse 

 of a long, undulating, weasel-like creature. 



One night a band of little carnivores were making 

 merry over the remains of some squirrels and doves 

 which had furnished our supper. Suddenly there was 

 an utter cessation of all sounds, and for a full minute 

 all was strangely quiet. Then a new sound came to 

 our ears. We had never heard anything like it, and 

 yet we shuddered. Why, we did not know, unless at 

 its mystery. 



A soft slithering, as if something were scraping over 

 the coarse sand and pebbles past our tent. The moon 

 was bright, and I opened the tent-flap and looked out. 

 Not a living thing was in sight, not a sound save 

 an occasional click fnun a Barn Owl Hying above on 

 silent wings. The strange noise grew louder, and soon 

 from the darkness a long, undulating form appeared. 

 A "reat Boa was makino- its wav to the water. The 

 great creature was harmless, this we well knew, al- 

 though measuring fully ten feet in length ; but the 

 sight of this huge serpent, unconscious of being 

 watched, passing slowly on some errand of its wild 

 life, through its native jungle, was thrilling. How 



«& •216 ^ 



