136 A WAR DANCE. 



slow to resent this, and to fall like a hurricane 

 upon the pretender, who disappeared like a 

 dead leaf before the blast, and so quickly that 

 he could not be followed at least by anything 

 less rapid than wings. Once, however, I saw 

 a curious affair between the two suitors which 

 was plainly a war-dance. It followed closely 

 upon one of the usual flurries, conducted with 

 perhaps louder cries and more vehemence than 

 common, and began by both birds alighting on 

 the grass about a foot apart, and so absorbed 

 in each other as to be utterly oblivious of a 

 spectator within ten feet of them on the bal- 

 cony. No tiger out of the jungle could hold 

 more rage and fury than animated those feath- 

 ered atoms, bristled up even to the heads, 

 which looked as if covered with velvet caps. 

 They paused an instant, then crouched, jerked 

 their tails, " teetered " and posed in several 

 attitudes, ending each new movement with a 

 solemn bow, perhaps equivalent to a hand- 

 shake among larger fighters. What one did 

 the other exactly copied, and both seemed to 

 be trying to get one side of the opponent, so as 

 to secure some advantage. To prevent this, 

 each kept his face to the foe, and moved as he 

 moved. Thus they passed down one side, then 

 back, down the other and return, neither able to 

 get the slightest superiority of position. It was 



