All at once what seemed a flash of dark blue darted from a tree, and before gun could reach shoulder it was gone.
But Ebo had been on the watch, and away he crept amongst the rocks and trees, following what we now took to be a prize, till we saw him a quarter of a mile away holding up his spear as a signal.
We followed cautiously, and with a look of intelligence in his eyes he signed to my uncle to go one way towards a clump of tall palms, and to me to go in the other direction.
“Fire upwards,” whispered my uncle, and we parted.
I knew from Ebo’s ways that the bird must be in one of these trees, and with my eyes sweeping the great leaves in all directions I tried to make out the bird, but in vain, and I had advanced so near that I gave up all hope of seeing it, when suddenly from the other side there was a shot, then another, and feeling satisfied that my uncle had secured the prize I was completely taken off my guard, and stared with astonishment as a large bird, with tail quite a couple of feet long, swept by me towards the dense undergrowth of the lower ground, where it would have been in vain to hunt for it.
Just, however, as the bird was darting between the trees I raised my gun and made a quick snapshot at quite sixty yards’ distance, and then called myself a stupid for not being more ready and for wasting a charge of powder and shot.
My uncle hailed me now.
“Any luck, Nat?” he cried, as he came up.
“No, uncle,” I replied. “I made a flying shot, but it was too far-off.”
“So were mine, Nat, but I fired on the chance of getting the bird. It was a bird of paradise different to any I have seen. We must come again. I never had a chance at it.”