i6 4 



THE SECRETARY-BIRD. 



the question put to him. Jack did not remove the saddle, lasso, or any of the trap- 

 pings. He never used a bit with Apache, who was left free to graze or employ 

 himself as he preferred. 



Jack Harvey, therefore, as he began picking his way farther into the jungle, 

 carried his Winchester, two revolvers, and knife, and was as " well heeled " as any 

 of his countrymen could desire. 



It seemed to him that if any of the savage natives were in the wood they were 

 likely to be near the river. The fact that they had employed one raft at least, to- 

 gether with the further fact that it is the custom ol all people, whether barbarous 

 or civilized, to make all ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^__ 



possible use of water com- 

 munications, led him to be- 

 gin working his way toward 

 the stream. 



While thus employed, as 

 a matter of course, he was 

 alert. Knowing, as he did, 

 the number of venomous 

 serpents and all manner of 

 savage beasts, he meant 

 that none of them should 

 steal a march on him. 



Here and there were 

 beautifully-colored birds, 

 disporting among the 

 branches, some with a plum- 

 age that was bewildering 

 in its brilliancy. He would 

 have been glad to capture 

 a few of them for the show, 

 but he could conjure up no 

 means, unless, perchance, 

 he might come upon some 

 nest and rob it of its young. 



The cries were so discordant that more than once he uttered an impatient ex- 

 clamation, and was tempted to fire at them; but, since he could have caused no 

 appreciable diminution in their numbers or harshness, he refrained. 



It was this careful scrutiny of the upper branches that disclosed to him a broad 

 collection of twigs in the tuft of a tree which he thought was the nest of a bird. It 

 was so well hidden that he would not have discovered it had he not been searching 

 with such care, and even then he was not sure he was right until he had made a 

 circuit around the base of the tree, and studied the object from every point of the 

 compass. 



THE SECRETARY-BIRD. 



