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Our attention was attracted to a familiar noise the cooing of doves. I moved gently under the trees, and soon put to flight several fine specimens, of a dark, ashy-blue color, with a black band across the tail-feathers, which were of a pearl-gray. I killed a couple of them; and Sumichrast, who was better placed, knocked down three others. They were quite sufficient for our dinners.
My first impulse was to address l'Encuerado rather angrily. "Don't flurry him," said Sumichrast; "he'll need all his presence of mind to get the boy down safely." With an anxiety which may be easily understood, I watched all the movements of the lad, who was every now and then concealed by the leaves. "Gently," cried l'Encuerado; "put your foot there. Well done!
Sumichrast, who had caught one of these large beetles, placed a stone upon it which any one would have thought sufficient to have crushed it; but, to Lucien's great admiration, the six-legged Hercules walked off with its burden, almost without an effort.
This singular snake quite enchanted Lucien, and Sumichrast told him to fire his gun at it, so as to be able to study it more closely. He had no need to repeat his instructions; the young sportsman, who had begun to handle his weapon very skillfully, at once placed it to his shoulder; the shot was fired, and the amphisbæna, tumbling over, disappeared in the grass.
I kissed poor Lucien, and comforted him as well as I could, assisted by l'Encuerado, who soon afterwards took him off to look after our roast rabbit. The tochtli, or Mexican rabbit, is different from the European species, although it has the same colored coat and instincts. In fact it is a hare. "Do you know the family of the animal we are going to have for breakfast?" asked Sumichrast.
The prey fell from the bird's grasp, followed in its fall by the falcon. The kite, conquered by an enemy about one-fifth of its own size, flew round and round in the air and then disappeared. The conqueror standing about thirty yards from us, eyes glittering and foot firmly planted on its prey, magnificent in anger and daring, Sumichrast abandoned the game to it as a recompense for its courage.
"What is the use of having forty-four feet," he cried, "if the centipede can not get on faster than a carabus, which only has six?" L'Encuerado could alone explain this mystery; but still he kept silence. "Are these creatures poisonous, M. Sumichrast?" "It is said so; but some species that, for instance, which you are examining may be handled without danger."
Then, loaded with our guns and gourds alas! almost empty we prepared to start on our journey without having the courage to undeceive Lucien, who thought we were going to meet his friend. At last, having examined the horizon carefully, I placed Master Job on my shoulder, and, led by Sumichrast, Lucien being borne between us, we pursued our course. The undertaking was beyond our strength.
When our baggage had been deposited in the shed, I went and sat down a few paces from the hut, on a mound overlooking the brook. Sumichrast soon joined me. Gradually the sun went down, while the children, previously playing about, went to dip themselves in the beautifully transparent water. I told Lucien, who was dying to imitate them, to follow their example.
The effect on Lucien's mind was of a serious character, and he seemed never to be weary of asking questions. "These natural hollows," said Sumichrast, "often occur in gypsum mountains, but still more frequently in volcanic or calcareous masses.
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