by Mayne Reid
CHAPTER THIRTY NINE.
THE MOCCASON SNAKE AND THE ORIOLES.
"We now climbed back into the live-oak, and recommenced flinging downour moss. We were chatting gaily about the curious scene we had justwitnessed. Frank was remarking how lucky he had been in thus findingthe nest of the orioles--as he wanted young birds of that species, andhe could return for them whenever they were hatched. All of a sudden,these birds--that since the defeat of the 'possum had remained perfectlyquiet--again commenced screaming and chattering as before.
"`Another 'possum!' said Frank; `maybe it's the old father coming tolook after his family.'
"We both stopped, and looked down. We soon discovered what was causingthis new commotion. Slowly gliding over the grass, and glittering as itwent, was a long monster-looking object. It was a huge serpent--a snakeof the most venomous kind--the dreaded `moccason.' It was one of thelargest of its species; and its great flat head, protruding sockets, andsparkling eyes, added to the hideousness of its appearance. Every nowand then, as it advanced, it threw out its forked tongue, which, moistwith poisonous saliva, flashed under the sunbeam like jets of fire. Itwas crawling directly for the tree on which hung the nest. Frank and Istood still where we were--determined to watch its movements, as we haddone those of the opossum. On reaching the root of the pawpaw, itstopped for a moment, as if to consider.
"`Do you think it is going to climb up to the nest?' inquired mycompanion.
"`No,' I replied, `the moccason is not a tree-climber. If it were, thepoor birds as well as the squirrels would have little chance; but itcannot climb. Look at it! it is only making pretence--to frighten theorioles still more, if possible.'
"As I said this, the snake had drawn its body closer to the tree, andraised its flat head up against the trunk, throwing out its tongue as ifit was licking the bark.
"The orioles, evidently believing that it was about to climb up, had nowdescended to the lowest branches, fluttering from one to the other, andscreaming 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 eyesscintillated like sparks of fire, and seemed to fascinate the birds;for, instead of retiring, they each moment drew nearer and nearer, nowalighting on the ground, then flapping back to the branches, and anondarting to the ground again--as though they were under some spell fromthose fiery eyes, and were unable to take themselves away! Theirmotions appeared to grow less energetic--their chirping became almostinaudible--and their wings seemed hardly to expand as they flew, orrather fluttered, around the head of the serpent. One of them at lengthdropped down upon the ground--within reach of the snake--and stood withopen bill, as if exhausted, and unable to move farther. We wereexpecting to see the snake suddenly launch forth upon his featheredvictim; when, all at once, his coils flew out, his body was thrown atfull length, and he commenced retreating from the tree! The birds,apparently released from the spell that had bound them, flew up to thehigher branches, and ceased their screaming!
"For a while, my companion and I stood silent, wondering at thisunexpected termination of the scene.
"`What can have driven him off?' asked Frank, turning to me with a lookof inquiry.
"Before I could make any reply, an object appeared upon the edge of thethicket which attracted the attention of both of us. It was an animalabout the size of a wolf, and of a dark grey or blackish colour. Itsbody was compact, round-shaped, and covered--not with hair, but--withshaggy bristles, that along the ridge of its back were nearly six inchesin length, and gave it the appearance of having a mane. It had veryshort ears, no tail whatever, or only a knob; and we could see that itsfeet were hoofed, not clawed as in beasts of prey. But, whether beastof prey or not, its long mouth, with two white tusks protruding over thejaws, gave it a very formidable appearance. Its head and nose resembledthose of the hog more than any other animal; and, in fact, it wasnothing else than the _peccary_--the wild hog of Mexico. As it came outfrom the long weeds and grass, we saw that two smaller animals, of adark 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, oncemore set up the scolding concert. But the old peccary paid no attentionto the birds. They were nothing to her; and she passed on with her noseto the ground, occasionally stopping to pick up a seed or a nut.
"In going away from the thicket, she crossed the track by which theserpent 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 momentsfrom side to side with her nose to the ground, and lifting the traillike a hound. She first followed it back to the tree, but there was adouble trail--that by which the snake had come, as well as the one hehad just made in retreating--and this for a moment puzzled her. Shetook the wrong trail at first, and galloped nimbly out upon it; but,almost in the same breath, returned to the tree, and then started uponthe other.
"During all these manoeuvres, the snake was crawling off as fast as hecould--which at best was only a very tardy gait, for the moccason is buta slow traveller. We could see that he kept as much as possible underthe grass, occasionally raising his flattened head, and glaring behindhim. He was making for the cliffs, that were only about a stone's throwdistant.
"He had got scarce half-way, when the peccary running up the fresh trailalmost trod upon him; and, seeing the object of her pursuit, shesuddenly 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 likea great porcupine than a pig, drew back, as if to take the advantage ofa run; and then halted. Both for a moment eyed each other--the peccaryevidently calculating its distance,--while the great snake seemed cowed,and quivering with affright. Its appearance was entirely different fromthe bright semblance it had exhibited but a moment before, when engagedwith the birds. Its eyes were less fiery, and its whole body seemedmore ashy and wrinkled.
"We had not many moments to observe it, for the peccary was now seen torush forward, spring high into the air, and pounce down with all herfeet held together upon the coils of the serpent! She immediatelybounded back again; and, quick as thought, once more rose above hervictim. The snake was now uncoiled, and writhing over the ground.Another rush from the peccary--another spring--and the sharp hoofs ofthe animal came down upon the neck of the serpent, crushing it upon thehard turf. The body of the reptile, distended to its full length,quivered for a moment, and then lay motionless along the grass. Thevictor uttered another sharp cry--that seemed intended as a call to heryoung ones--who, emerging from the weeds, where they had concealedthemselves, ran nimbly forward to the spot."