THE HAUNTS OF THE PARROT. 1 29 



while I went in search of some dry moss with which 

 to stuff them. Returning, when some distance away 

 I heard a low grunt, and looking up saw a large 

 hog, black as night and gaunt as a wolf, snuffing at 

 the log. I darted forward with a cry, but not before 

 the sable fiend had seized one of the birds by the head 

 and started to run. Thinking only of my specimen, 

 I pressed him so closely that he turned at bay, show- 

 .ing fangs long as my fingers. Then he started again, 

 as I hesitated a moment, and ran more swiftly than 

 before. In running, he stepped upon the trailing 

 wing of the bird and wrenched the head from the 

 body, but kept on, crunching the bones between his 

 powerful jaws, and disappeared in a clump of bam- 

 boos. As I had neither gun nor knife, I was power- 

 less to avert this catastrophe, but was obliged to 

 bottle my wrath until Meyong's return. He then in- 

 formed me that there were hundreds of wild hogs in 

 the woods, but that we would require dogs to hunt 

 them w r ith. 



It was at once decided that Coryet should return 

 to the coast on the morrow with my birds, procure 

 more provisions, and two hunting-dogs belonging 

 to old Joseph, a chief. Upon his return we would 

 move higher up the mountains, and seek reparation 

 for my bird from the droves of wild hogs there roam- 

 ing the forests. At the same time it was possible I 

 might add to my captures that inhabitant of the upper 

 volcano, the Diablotin, or "Little Devil," which had 

 not been seen for thirty years. 



9 



