134 THE ADVENTURES OF 



knew better than that. No doubt it 's a good thing to be brave, 

 but you must manage to be less stupid when you are in the forests 

 of the Terre-Ghaxide, unless you want to be devoured by a tiger, 

 or scratched to pieces by an ant-eater." 



After listening to I'Encuerado's speech, Lucien scolded him for 

 firing at the poor animal, and then joined us, close to the porcu- 

 pine which was dying. It was about the size of a fox, and its 

 fore paws were furnished with four toes armed with claws. This 

 animal, which is slow of pace and entirely inoffensive, spreads 

 round it a sickening musky odour. It lives on fruit, roots, and 

 insects, and, aided by its prehensile tail, climbs trees with great 

 skill ; it but rarely tries to make its escape at the approach of the 

 hunter, who, moreover, utterly despises such worthless game. 



L'Encuerado reminded us that we had now been traveUing 

 twelve days, and that it was the first Sunday in May. We 

 should have devoted it to rest if our morning's hunting had been 

 successful; but, unless we contented ourselves with a dinner 

 composed only of rice, we were obliged to shoot some eatable 

 bird or animal to fill our stew-pot. We heard some doves 

 cooing, and I'Encuerado went off alone in the direction of the 

 sound, for these birds are difficult of approach. Gringalet, not- 

 withstanding our calls, ran after the Indian. 



Lucien climbed the rock which hung over the pool, and made 

 signs for me to come to him, saying in a low voice — 



" Papa, come and look at this strange animal." 



I also climbed up, and found lying on the top a Mexican 

 chameleon, a kind of round-shaped lizard, with a brown skin dotted 

 over with yellow spots, which seemed to change colour in the 

 light. Lucien tried to catch the graceful reptile, which, however, 

 glided between his fingers and disappeared behind the rock. 



The Mexican chameleon lives only in the woods and among the 

 rocks. It chiefly delights in the oak forests, where the dark 

 colour of its body blends with the hue of the dry leaves, and 

 enables it to lie successfully in ambush for the insects on which 

 it feeds. Sumichrast, who had succeeded in taming a chameleon, 

 told us that the reptile's throat, which was white during the day- 

 time, assumed during the night a dark hue ; also, that it liked to 



