144 HUNTING THE GRISLY. 



woods were reddish cardinal birds, much less 

 brilliant in plumage than the true cardinals 

 and the scarlet tanagers ; and yellow-headed 

 titmice which had already built large domed 

 nests. 



In the valley of the Nueces itself, the brush 

 grew thick. There were great groves of pe- 

 can trees, and ever-green live-oaks stood in 

 many places, long, wind-shaken tufts of gray 

 moss hanging from their limbs. Many of the 

 trees in the wet spots were of giant size, and 

 the whole landscape was semi-tropical in char- 

 acter. High on a bluff shoulder overlooking 

 the course of the river was perched the ranch 

 house, toward which we were bending our 

 steps; and here we were received with the 

 hearty hospitality characteristic of the ranch 

 country everywhere. 



The son of the ranchman, a tall, well-built 

 young fellow, told me at once that there were 

 peccaries in the neighborhood, and that he 

 had himself shot one but two or three days 

 before, and volunteered to lend us horses and 

 pilot us to the game on the morrow, with the 

 help of his two dogs. The last were big black 

 curs with, as we were assured, " considerable 

 hound " in them. One was at the time stay- 

 ing at the ranch house, the other was four or 

 five miles off with a Mexican goat-herder, 

 and it was arranged that early in the morning 

 we should ride down to the latter place, tak- 

 ing the first dog with us and procuring his 

 companion when we reached the goat-herder's 

 house. 



