"We now climbed back into the live-oak, and recommenced flinging down
our moss. We were chatting gaily about the curious scene we had just
witnessed. Frank was remarking how lucky he had been in thus finding
the nest of the orioles--as he wanted young birds of that species, and
he could return for them whenever they were hatched. All of a sudden,
these birds--that since the defeat of the 'possum had remained perfectly
quiet--again commenced screaming and chattering as before.
"`Another 'possum!' said Frank; `maybe it's the old father coming to
look after his family.'
"We both stopped, and looked down. We soon discovered what was causing
this new commotion. Slowly gliding over the grass, and glittering as it
went, was a long monster-looking object. It was a huge serpent--a snake
of the most venomous kind--the dreaded `moccason.' It was one of the
largest of its species; and its great flat head, protruding sockets, and
sparkling eyes, added to the hideousness of its appearance. Every now
and then, as it advanced, it threw out its forked tongue, which, moist
with poisonous saliva, flashed under the sunbeam like jets of fire. It
was crawling directly for the tree on which hung the nest. Frank and I
stood still where we were--determined to watch its movements, as we had
done those of the opossum. On reaching the root of the pawpaw, it
stopped for a moment, as if to consider.
"`Do you think it is going to climb up to the nest?' inquired my
companion.
"`No,' I replied, `the moccason is not a tree-climber. If it were, the
poor birds as well as the squirrels would have little chance; but it
cannot climb. Look at it! it is only making pretence--to frighten the
orioles still more, if possible.'
"As I said this, the snake had drawn its body closer to the tree, and
raised its flat head up against the trunk, throwing out its tongue as if
it was licking the bark.
"The orioles, evidently believing that it was about to climb up, had now
descended to the lowest branches, fluttering from one to the other, and
screaming all the while either with rage, or terror, or both combined.
"The snake, seeing them approach almost within range of his hideous maw,
gathered himself into a coil, and prepared to strike. His eyes
scintillated like sparks of fire, and seemed to fascinate the birds;
for, instead of retiring, they each moment drew nearer and nearer, now
alighting on the ground, then flapping back to the branches, and anon
darting to the ground again--as though they were under some spell from
those fiery eyes, and were unable to take themselves away! Their
motions appeared to grow less energetic--their chirping became almost
inaudible--and their wings seemed hardly to expand as they flew, or
rather fluttered, around the head of the serpent. One of them at length
dropped down upon the ground--within reach of the snake--and stood with
open bill, as if exhausted, and unable to move farther. We were
expecting to see the snake suddenly launch forth upon his feathered
victim; when, all at once, his coils flew out, his body was thrown at
full length, and he commenced retreating from the tree! The birds,
apparently released from the spell that had bound them, flew up to the
higher branches, and ceased their screaming!
"For a while, my companion and I stood silent, wondering at this
unexpected termination of the scene.
"`What can have driven him off?' asked Frank, turning to me with a look
of inquiry.
"Before I could make any reply, an object appeared upon the edge of the
thicket which attracted the attention of both of us. It was an animal
about the size of a wolf, and of a dark grey or blackish colour. Its
body was compact, round-shaped, and covered--not with hair, but--with
shaggy bristles, that along the ridge of its back were nearly six inches
in length, and gave it the appearance of having a mane. It had very
short ears, no tail whatever, or only a knob; and we could see that its
feet were hoofed, not clawed as in beasts of prey. But, whether beast
of prey or not, its long mouth, with two white tusks protruding over the
jaws, gave it a very formidable appearance. Its head and nose resembled
those of the hog more than any other animal; and, in fact, it was
nothing else than the _peccary_--the wild hog of Mexico. As it came out
from the long weeds and grass, we saw that two smaller animals, of a
dark reddish colour--two young peccaries--were following at its heels.
Like the opossum, it was a mother and her brood.
"The three soon drew near the pawpaws; and the orioles seeing them, once
more set up the scolding concert. But the old peccary paid no attention
to the birds. They were nothing to her; and she passed on with her nose
to the ground, occasionally stopping to pick up a seed or a nut.
"In going away from the thicket, she crossed the track by which the
serpent had retreated. All on a sudden she stopped, tossed up her nose,
and scented the air. The fetid smell of the moccason had reached her,
and seemed at once to rouse all her energies. She ran for some moments
from side to side with her nose to the ground, and lifting the trail
like a hound. She first followed it back to the tree, but there was a
double trail--that by which the snake had come, as well as the one he
had just made in retreating--and this for a moment puzzled her. She
took the wrong trail at first, and galloped nimbly out upon it; but,
almost in the same breath, returned to the tree, and then started upon
the other.
"During all these manoeuvres, the snake was crawling off as fast as he
could--which at best was only a very tardy gait, for the moccason is but
a slow traveller. We could see that he kept as much as possible under
the grass, occasionally raising his flattened head, and glaring behind
him. He was making for the cliffs, that were only about a stone's throw
distant.
"He had got scarce half-way, when the peccary running up the fresh trail
almost trod upon him; and, seeing the object of her pursuit, she
suddenly stopped, erected her long bristles, and uttered a shrill grunt.
The snake, finding that he was overtaken, threw himself into a coil,
and prepared to give battle; while his antagonist, now looking more like
a great porcupine than a pig, drew back, as if to take the advantage of
a run; and then halted. Both for a moment eyed each other--the peccary
evidently calculating its distance,--while the great snake seemed cowed,
and quivering with affright. Its appearance was entirely different from
the bright semblance it had exhibited but a moment before, when engaged
with the birds. Its eyes were less fiery, and its whole body seemed
more ashy and wrinkled.
"We had not many moments to observe it, for the peccary was now seen to
rush forward, spring high into the air, and pounce down with all her
feet held together upon the coils of the serpent! She immediately
bounded back again; and, quick as thought, once more rose above her
victim. The snake was now uncoiled, and writhing over the ground.
Another rush from the peccary--another spring--and the sharp hoofs of
the animal came down upon the neck of the serpent, crushing it upon the
hard turf. The body of the reptile, distended to its full length,
quivered for a moment, and then lay motionless along the grass. The
victor uttered another sharp cry--that seemed intended as a call to her
young ones--who, emerging from the weeds, where they had concealed
themselves, ran nimbly forward to the spot."