Then I naturally began thinking about the splendid trogons, and whether there was any likely place near that we had not well hunted through.
“Lots,” I said to myself. “They’re here to-day and gone to-morrow. That’s the way with birds, except when they have nests. They go about according to where they can find food. Hullo! He can’t have got to the water in this short time.”
For I had caught sight of Pete hurrying back, and as soon as he saw me watching him climbing up from below he begun to make signs to me not to speak.
“What has he found?” I said to myself, for he was creeping up nearly bent double and moving with the greatest caution.
I rose to go down to him, but at the slightest movement he waved his hand to me to keep back; so I waited till he came up, panting, his face covered with the great drops of perspiration.
“Seen a big snake?” I said, laughing.
“No,” he whispered; “don’t make a noise. I’ve seen the troghums.”
“What!” I cried excitedly.
“Don’t,” he whispered, “or you may frighten ’em again.”
“But do you mean to say you’ve seen some of the beautiful trogons?”