THE HAUNTS OF THE PARROT. 129 
while I went in search of some dry moss with which 
to stuff them. Returning, when some distance away 
I heard a low grunt, and looking up saw a large 
hog, black as night and gaunt as a wolf, snuffing at 
the log. JI darted forward with a cry, but not before 
the sable fiend had seized one of the birds by the head 
and started torun. Thinking only of my specimen, 
I pressed him so closely that he turned at bay, show- 
ing fangs long as my fingers. Then he started again, 
‘as I hesitated a moment, and ran more swiftly than 
before. In running, he stepped upon the trailing 
wing of the bird and wrenched the head from the 
body, but kept on, crunching the bones between his 
powerful jaws, and disappeared in a clump of bam- 
boos. As I had neither gun nor knife, I was power- 
less to avert this catastrophe, but was obliged to 
bottle my wrath until Meyong’s return. He then in- 
formed me that there were hundreds of wild hogs in 
* the woods, but that we would require dogs to hunt 
them with. ‘ 
It was at once decided that Coryet should return 
to the coast on the morrow with my birds, procure 
more provisions, and two hunting-dogs belonging 
to old Joseph, a chief. Upon his return we would 
move higher up the mountains, and seek reparation 
for my bird from the droves of wild hogs there roam- 
ing the forests. At the same time it was possible I 
might add to my captures that inhabitant of the upper 
volcano, the Diablotin, or “ Little Devil,” which had 
not been seen for thirty years. 
2 
