of gigantic trees, and over a bare and
yet rich soil--for it is only in the glades that the ground is covered
with grass--when l'Encuerado heard the call of a small species of
pheasant peculiar to this country.

"Bend towards the left to get near the game," said Sumichrast, in a low
voice; "and, whatever you do, don't shake the foliage."

"We're all right now," muttered l'Encuerado; "listen! I'll predict that
we shall have a good dinner to-day."

The Indian laid down his load, which Sumichrast and Lucien took charge
of, while I followed the former behind the trees. My companion soon went
a little in front, and imitated the cry of the bird we were pursuing, so
as to make them answer, and thus show us where they were hidden. The
imitation was really so perfect that I moved towards it, thinking to
find the bird, and of course came upon the Indian lying in ambush. This
same mistake had happened to me before with Sumichrast, who imitated the
voice of birds almost as well as the Indian. At last his cry produced an
answer, and at about a hundred yards from us, on the top of a not very
tall oak, were perched three enormous pheasants.

Bent down and crawling behind the trees, I joined l'Encuerado, keeping
my eye fixed on the game, which stretched out their necks with an
anxious look, and seemed to be listening. Two gun-shots went off at
once; one of the birds fell dead at our feet, and the two others flew
away. One of these fugitives flew high above the tree-tops, but the
other, being wounded, was unable to follow its companion; I darted off
in pursuit, making sure of bagging it. The poor bird reached the ground
and tried hard to run; I was not more than fifty paces from it, when a
tiger-cat, with a black coat, bounded forward, and, seizing it,
disappeared before I had time to recover from my surprise. The marauder
was abused as a thief and a rogue by l'Encuerado, who had been a witness
of this misfortune. Lucien examined the pheasant, which was almost as
big as a turkey; but its sombre plumage did not at all answer to the
magnificent idea which the boy had formed of this bird. He thought that
the head was much too small for the body, and its naked and warty cheeks
led him to observe that the pheasant had the appearance of having put on
two plasters of tortoise-skin, a remark which was certainly well
founded. With regard to the beautiful and many-colored pheasant-species
peculiar to Asia and Africa, Mexico possesses none of