CHAPTEE lY. 



THE KING OF THE WOODS. 



The attractive ravine — A sanctuary of the birds — I hear a spirit 

 voice — An old acquaintance — Toh, the bird left out of the 

 ark — How its tail became attenuated — How it kills serpents. 



A WEEK passed away before I took to the woods 

 again — a week of work, of quiet labor and modest 

 delights. It had been my intention to make a foray 

 into the forest every day, if possible ; but, so long as 

 my time was occupied, there was no immediate neces- 

 sity for hunting. I had, I knew, four months of the 

 dry season to explore in, and even in the so-called 

 rainy season it was not impossible to go out. I dated 

 my advent here from the middle of December, when 

 the autumn rains were over and the best of the win- 

 ter season ahead of me. As I had hardly expected 

 to get settled before the first of January, but had 

 been favored by fortune so unexpectedly, I counted 

 all of this month saved as so much clear gain. 



I contemplated a garden, of course ; but the time 

 for its preparation had not quite arrived, and there 

 was nothing to be gained by haste. Although I had 

 no snow and frost to contend with there, and could 

 raise several crops in a season, still due regard must 



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