A YOUNG NATURALIST. 251 



burrow strewed with whitened bones. Two yards farther on I 

 saw the head of one of the animals, with eyes glittering like a 

 cat's, glaring out of the entrance of another burrow. I threw a 

 stone at the beast, which, far from showing any fear, curled 

 up its lips and showed us a very perfect set of teeth. 



As it was by no means our intention to make war upon wolves, 

 I returned to the plain with Lucien, who had showed no ordinary 

 coolness. I was glad of it, for my great wish was to inure him 

 to danger, and I feared that the Indian's misadventure with the 

 otter might have had a bad influence. 



"Didn't those wolves frighten you?" asked my friend of the boy. 

 " A little — especially their eyes, which seemed to dart fire. 

 " And what should you have done if they had sprung at us %" 

 " I should have aimed at them as straight as I could ; but 

 wolves are much braver than I thought." 



" They were anxious to protect their young ones, and their den 

 being so near made them all the bolder." 



When I'Encuerado heard that we had coyotes near us, he made 

 up a second fire for the night. The eastern sky was beginning 

 to grow pale, and as we were supping we saw the parrokeets in 

 couples flying over our heads towards the forest. Humming- 

 birds were flitting in every direction, and flocks of other passerines 

 flew from one bush to another. When they offered to perch near 

 our bivouac, I'Encuerado requested them in pohte terms to settle 

 a little farther away, and on their refusal urged his request by 

 throwing a stone at them, which but rarely failed in its purpose. 

 The sun set, and the mountains stood out in black relief against 

 the pink sky. 



The moon now rose, and I can hardly describe the marvellous 

 effects of light produced by its rays on the sierras. L'Encue- 

 rado had made a second fire, and had taken Gringalet aside to 

 insist upon his not roaming beyond the ground illuminated by its 

 flame, telling him that the coyotes, which would doubtless pass the 

 night in prowling round our bivouac, were very fond of dogs' 

 flesh. As if to add weight to this prudent advice, a prolonged 

 howhng was now heard, which the dog felt obliged to respond to 

 in his most doleful notes. 



