194 WILD LIFE UNDER THE EQUATOR: ae 
-in approaching them; but how were we to approach so 
many without being detected ? 
So we concluded to go by a roundabout way and try 
to get ahead of them, and then lay in ambush, waiting 
for them to pass. 
_ The wild boars were in a valley, where the ground was 
somewhat soft, and they would, I thought, continue to fol- 
low it. In the midst of this valley there was a beautiful 
little rivulet of clear water meandering crookedly on in 
the same uneven manner as the narrow valley itself, 
which was flanked on each side by tremendous high 
hills, covered like the valley and all the country round 
with gigantic trees, ——— bore different kinds of fruits 
and nuts. 
Then we concluded to ascend a hill close by and de- 
scend in as swift a manner as we could into the valley 
on the other side, which was the same one in which we 
were standing: by doing so, we could make a short cut 
and get ahead of the wild boars, and then nese our 
ground and wait for them. 
The plan succeeded perfectly. After crossing, we 
found a huge dead tree fallen on the ground, and behind 
it we hid ourselves. 
Soon we heard the grunts of the wild boars coming ; 
we were delighted; we looked at our guns, then fixed 
the barrels on the trunk of the tree, raised our heads 
hardly above it, and only so high that our eyes could 
get a glimpse at the wild boars. 
Here they come! I can see them through the jungle, 
snorting unconsciously and eating what they have up- 
rooted. How little do they think there are such formida- 
ble enemies close at hand! They came nearer and near- 
