180 THE HIGHLAND WILDERNESS [chap, vi 



waiting with poorly dissembled impatience for his share 

 of the banquet. The mantis flew down on the ox-hide 

 and proceeded to crawl over it, taking little flights from 

 one corner to another ; and whenever it thought itself 

 menaced it assumed an attitude of seeming devotion and 

 real defiance. Soon it lit in front of Cartucho's nose. 

 Cartucho cocked his big ears forward, stretched his neck, 

 and cautiously sniffed at the new arrival, not with any 

 hostile design, but merely to find out whether it would 

 prove to be a playmate. The mantis promptly assumed 

 an attitude of prayer. This struck Cartucho as both 

 novel and interesting, and he thrust his sniffing black 

 nose stUl nearer. The mantis dexterously thrust forward 

 first one and then the other armed fore leg, touching the 

 intrusive nose, which was instantly jerked back and again 

 slowly and inquiringly brought forward. Then the 

 mantis suddenly flew in Cartucho's face, whereupon 

 Cartucho, with a smothered yelp of dismay, almost 

 turned a back somersault ; and the triumphant mantis 

 flew back to the middle of the ox-hide, among the plates, 

 where it reared erect and defied the laughing and 

 applauding company. 



On the morning of the 29th we were rather late in 

 starting, because the rain had continued through the 

 night into the morning, drenching everjrthing. After 

 nightfall there had been some mosquitoes, and the piums 

 were a pest during daylight ; where one bites it leaves a 

 tiny black spot on the skin which lasts for several weeks. 

 In the shppery mud one of the pack-mules fell and 

 injured itself so that it had to be abandoned. Soon after 

 starting we came on the telegraph-hne, which runs from 

 Cayuba ; this was the first time we had seen it. Two 

 Parecis Indians joined us, leading a pack-bullock. They 

 were dressed in hat, shirt, trousers, and sandals, precisely 



