182 MAKING ALL READY. 



crease. All at once he felt the rail on which he sat bend 

 and break ; and before he could find a fresh support, he 

 found himself lying on his back in the middle of a caiie- 

 bush on the other side. To spring to his feet, and re- 

 sume his flight, was the work of a second ; and he happily 

 contrived to reach his residence without further molesta- 

 tion from the peccaries. 



We hastened to finish our breakfast, and afterwards to 

 make preparations for an expedition in quest of the bear, 

 who was even a more dangerous neighbour for my friends 

 than the peccaries. 



All three mounted on horseback, preceded by a negro, 

 who blew lustily through a cow's horn, for the purpose, 

 he said, of terrifying those " vermin swine." 



The pack of hounds was superb. They had been 

 trained to hunt the bear, and belonged to a breed crossed 

 with bull-dogs and greyhounds. Their hide bore traces 

 of wounds inflicted by the tusks of the peccaries and 

 the formidable claws of the bears. While advancing 

 in the direction of the projected hunt, Mr. Morgan gave 

 me the instructions necessary for avoiding an awkward 

 rencontre with the peccaries. He recommended me 

 with particular emphasis not to attempt a stand, but to 

 fly with all speed, unless I wished to see my horse ripped 

 up, and to get my own limbs torn and broken. Natu- 

 rally, I promised to be very prudent ; but the yelps and 

 joyous barks of the dogs soon drove from my mind all 

 recollection of the dangerous game we were about to 

 attack. 



We had reached the cane-bushes ; and our horses ex- 

 perienced the greatest difficulty in forcing a passage 



