We had heard
nothing of the doves for a long time, and we were expecting to see our
companion reappear; but he must have made an enormous curve in pursuing
them, to judge from the direction from which the report of his gun
proceeded. Fortunately, from the position of the spot, there was not
much likelihood of his missing his way: although we had full confidence
in his instinct, we feared to what extent his ardor might carry him.

We now kept on the look-out, hoping that chance would throw us in
contact with some game. All at once there was a movement to our right in
the high grass, and its waving about pointed out the presence of some
reptile. In a minute or two we saw a serpent making its way towards the
pool; it was the species which is called by the Indians, as formerly by
the Greeks, the double-headed serpent. The amphisbaena was about a foot
and a half long, and its tail was swollen at the end, which gave it a
very curious appearance. Its skin, covered with large scales, had a
bluish metallic glitter. It crawled slowly, and stopped every instant as
if to bore into the ground, but in reality to pick up insects or ants.
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 amphisbaena, tumbling over, disappeared in
the grass. The reptile had been hit, and we all of us clambered down the
rock as fast as we could, in the hopes of finding it dead. We sought for
it in vain; the snake had made its escape into some hole, from which it
would be in vain to try to dislodge it.

Gringalet now showed himself, soon followed by l'Encuerado. When he
caught sight of us, the Indian raised a loud "Hiou! hiou!" Waving his
hat in the air, he threw upon the ground some dark object, which fell
heavily on the turf, and then he began dancing. We roared with laughter
at his grotesque steps, and Lucien ran towards the Mistec, who, after
his dance, was acting the acrobat on the turf.

"A turkey!" he cried; and an enormous bird, with bronzed plumage, was
passed from hand to hand.

"Ah! Chanito," cried the Indian, "if you had gone with me, you would
have seen a whole flock of them! I had chased those miserable doves till
I was tired, without even catching a glimpse of them, and was resti