364 WILD SCENES AND WILD HUNTERS. 



or conjecturing whether wolves learned to howl by gamut, 

 and how many quavers made their endless bars, or wondering 

 whether " rattle ! rattle ! snap ! snap !" was considered a 

 legitimate chorus to " tu whit ! tu whoo !" by the San Saba 

 owls. 



I got tired conjecturing about the owls, for they seemed 

 to have taken that matter in hand with regard to me, and 

 came flapping and hooting about the tree tops, and shining 

 the4r great eyes curiously at me, as they went by, till I 

 almost foamed with spite, because I couldn't punch them 

 out. The moon got up over head at last, and that narrow 

 little valley, which looked so pretty in the morning sunshine, 

 now lay along the deep bosom of the shadow, in the light, 

 braiding them like a silver ribbon. Those graceful little 

 creatures stepping across it, one, two, three, they are ocelots, 

 spotted like a pard. What a carouse is going on down there 

 over that bear's carcass. The brutes are about to hold a 

 carnival here to-night, in celebration of my release from the 

 thraldom and restraints of civilization. Confound 'em, if 

 they hadn't such rakish ways about them, I would come 

 down and do the "honors" for them genteelly, as a civil 

 host should ! Can't trust 'em, though ! How their eyes do 

 sparkle and flash green flames, as they spit and claw at each 

 other over the bones. The panther rules the roost down 

 there. I wonder if the puma is going to come. 



I wish he would. There'll be rare scintillating fire-works 

 from their eyes should they get to battling. I suppose I 

 should see all the cat family by the light, sitting on their 

 haunches around, connoisseuring. That would be funny, for 

 they are a sober, demure-looking generation. Look at that 

 pack of wolves sitting off there in the moonlight. How they 

 fidget, and whine, and lick their chops. They dare not come 

 nearer ! Good for them, the sneaking grave-robbers ! Those 

 panthers are gleaming their eyes up this way. Have they 

 scented ? Can it be they suspect ? There go the gleams 



