to perform some other service or to give me something in exchange
for the box. At last I told him that I would give it to the
first person who should accompany me, and fearing that someone
would be found valiant enough to win the prize, he at length
plucked up a spirit, and on the next day, seeing me going out for
a walk, he all at once offered to go with me. He cunningly tried
to get the box before starting--his cunning, poor youth, was not
very deep! I told him that the forest we were about to visit
abounded with plants and birds unlike any I had seen elsewhere,
that I wished to learn their names and everything about them, and
that when I had got the required information the box would be
his--not sooner. Finally we started, he, as usual, armed with
his zabatana, with which, I imagined, he would procure more game
than usually fell to his little poisoned arrows. When we reached
the wood I could see that he was ill at ease: nothing would
persuade him to go into the deeper parts; and even where it was
very open and light he was constantly gazing into bushes and
shadowy places, as if expecting to see some frightful creature
lying in wait for him. This behaviour might have had a
disquieting effect on me had I not been thoroughly convinced that
his fears were purely superstitious and that there could be no
dangerous animal in a spot I was accustomed to walk in every day.
My plan was to ramble about with an unconcerned air, occasionally
pointing out an uncommon tree or shrub or vine, or calling his
attention to a distant bird-cry and asking the bird's name, in
the hope that the mysterious voice would make itself heard and
that he would be able to give me some explanation of it. But for
upwards of two hours we moved about, hearing nothing except the
usual bird voices, and during all that time he never stirred a
yard from my side nor made an attempt to capture anything. At