124 IN THE AMEBIC AN DESERT 



evidently in a very bad temper, she took her whole cargo 

 off into the wood. 



The birds now changed their note, and after singing a 

 short song of victory, became quite still. Suddenly the 

 fluttering and chattering began afresh, and through the 

 grass came gliding a huge moccason snake. If the birds 

 had only known, they and their nest were safe enough, 

 for the moccason cannot climb trees, but it has other 

 ways of getting at its prey. 



The nearer the snake came the greater grew the noise 

 of the orioles, though every circle that they made brought 

 them lower and lower, and closer to the snake. The 

 moccason watching steadily, saw that the spell of his 

 fascination had almost worked, for the birds sometimes 

 actually touched the ground in their flutterings, while 

 their wings moved more and more slowly. At length 

 one stood quite still with his mouth open ; but instead of 

 seizing his prey, the moccason suddenly uncoiled himself 

 and took flight the way he had come, while the birds, 

 who had so narrowly escaped death, flew into the 

 tree. 



The reason of the snake's strange conduct was the 

 sudden appearance of a peccary or wild hog on the out- 

 skirts of the wood, a creature about as large as a wolf, 

 with bristles in place of hair, and sharp tusks sticking 

 out of its mouth. It was closely followed by two young 

 ones who, instead of being dark grey, were a kind 

 of red. 



The peccary had not seen the snake, and was not 

 thinking about it, till suddenly she stepped by accident 

 across its trail. The smell of the moccason was quite 

 unmistakable, and she ran about with her nose on the 

 ground, sniffing the scent. At first she made one or 

 two false starts, for, of course, the snake had left a 

 double track ; but having settled on the right one, she 

 started off at full speed. 



Meanwhile the snake was hastening as quickly as its 



