A PECCARY HUNT ON THE NUECES. 143 



we encountered one or two cowpunchers: 

 either Texans, habited exactly like their 

 brethren in the North, with broad-brimmed 

 gray hats, blue shirts, silk neckerchiefs, and 

 leather leggings ; or else Mexicans, more 

 gaudily dressed, and wearing peculiarly stiff, 

 very broad-brimmed hats, with conical tops. 



Toward the end of our ride we got where 

 the ground was more fertile, and there had 

 recently been a sprinkling of rain. Here we 

 came across wonderful flower prairies. In 

 one spot I kept catching glimpses through the 

 mesquite trees of lilac stretches which I had 

 first thought must be ponds of water. On 

 coming nearer they proved to be acres on 

 acres thickly covered with beautiful lilac- 

 colored flowers. Farther on we came to 

 where broad bands of red flowers covered the 

 ground for many furlongs ; then their places 

 were taken by yellow blossoms, elsewhere by 

 white. Generally each band or patch of 

 ground was covered densely by flowers of the 

 same color, making a great vivid streak across 

 the landscape ; but in places they were mixed 

 together, red, yellow, and purple, interspersed 

 in patches and curving bands, carpeting the 

 prairie in a strange, bright pattern. 



Finally, toward evening we reached the 

 Nueces. Where we struck it first the bed was 

 dry, except in occasional deep, malarial-look- 

 ing pools, but a short distance below there 

 began to be a running current. Great blue 

 herons were stalking beside these pools, and 

 from one we flushed a white ibis. In the 



