me up and said something in a sour way to the
speaker, who added,--

"They've skinned the tiger, and want to know what to do with the
carkidge, sir. Come along with me, and I'll show you something else."

"No, no: stop a moment. Look here!" cried Joe.

They all turned to where he stood holding the bunch on his gun-barrel,
and saw his eyes fixed upon something playing about--a great humble-bee
apparently--which paused before one of the orchid blossoms.

The little thing was dull-looking, and they saw directly after that it
was probing the flowers with a long curved beak.

"Humming bird," cried Rob; "but I thought that they were
bright-coloured."

In an instant, as if it had heard his words, the tiny creature changed
its position to such an angle with the sun that for a few seconds its
breast glowed with gorgeous green and flame-coloured scales, which
looked as if they had been cut out of some wonderful metal to protect
the bird's breast. Its wings moved so rapidly that they were invisible,
and the beautiful little object seemed to be surrounded by a filmy haze
of a little more than the diameter of a cricket-ball.

Again there was a sharp motion, such as is noted in one kind of fly in
an English summer, when it can be seen poised for a few moments
apparently immovable, but with its wings beating at lightning speed.
And as the humming bird changed its position the breast feathers looked
dark and dull, while its head displayed a crest of dazzling golden
green.

It appeared to have no dread of the group of human beings close to it,
but probed blossom after blossom as calmly as a bee would at home; and
it was from no movement they made that it suddenly made a dart and was
gone.

"Pretty creatures!" said Shaddy, smiling, and looking the last man in
the world likely to admire a bird; "you've come to the right place for
them, gentlemen. Those lads of mine would soon make blowpipes and
arrows, and knock you a few down, or I could if you wanted 'em, with one
of your guns."

"The shots would cut them to pieces," said Brazier.

"To be sure they would, sir, and I shouldn't use none. I've knocked one
down with a charge of powder, shot off pretty close, and other times
with half a teaspoonful of sand in the gun. But I tell you what acts
best, only you can't do it with a breechloader. It must be an old
muzzle gun, and after you've rammed down your powder very tight with a
strong wad, you pour in a little water, and