The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1889-05-24
miscellaneous.
Toby Peters and the Motmot.

/
There is family of birds in Tropical
America known as the M0tmlOtS, or king-of.
the-woods, and they derive their strange
name from their curious cries. ~ was on
| little island off the South American coast"
writes naturalist, huntngt its great forests in
search of beautiful birds. ! had heard of the
'king-of-the Woods as soon as l had en-
gagged guide for the forests. This guide
was delightful old mulatto named Balfour,
who had never received an education in
schools, but had wonderful one from the
forest. He could stuff birds, and agreed TO
| pilot me TO baunts of every interesting ami
NAL on the island.
"Never while live shall forget that cool,
sweet morning when first made acquaint-
ance with those feathered children of the tro.
pics. 1t was my second year in the West Indies,
but this was the first island had found in
which both birds and plants were truly trop.
ical, both belonging to the great continent of
South America.
"As do not shoot birds for mere pleasure,
| was perfectly contented to sit down by a
pure stream, beneath clump of bamboos,
watch the birds, and study their habits. AS
| was ntcntly following the motions of q
blue and white hummng-bird that was
dancing above the stream, Balfour called
out
"Hush, massa me hear UNI king-ob-d
wood
Listening, then, with no sound to break the
stiffness except the murmur of the stream, /
heard long, hollow sound, like one calling,
'WhO0p
"'Ha me call UNI, massa, an yo' stan
ready TO shoot UNI when he come
Then Baltour initiated the bird, and cried
out, 'WhoT
"The strange creature instantly answered,
'WhoY
"And thus they called, one to the other,
the weird cry growing nearer and nearer,
until Balfour whispered, eXcitedly,-
"'Dah dah he be! Look him, massa,
right ober yo' head
"Sure enough, the bird had flown softly
directly to the tree beneath which we sat, and
there he was perched, looking about for the
source of the call that had enticed him on.
After the sun had come up hot, and we
had secured enough of the various birds
about us To answer our purpose we sat down
to to rest before taking the hot walk back to
the house. and Baltour related how this bird
sometimes fool de boys
"While enjoying the shade of the trees, he
told me about that case Of Toby Peters. AS
related in his negro dialect, it would prove
tedious reading, SO will clothe it in words
ofmy own
"Toby Peters was bad little darkey
boy who went out into the woods birdnestng,
from no other motive than the mere sport.
suddenly he heard some one calling
'WhO?
thinking it some one belated In the forest,
answered the cry, hoping to have company
home.
"'It's me, sab; who's you"
"The answer came in one word-'Who p
"'Its me, sab; Toby Petals, sab. Don
you know meH
"Who? who?'
"The voice Was drawing nearer, but Toby
could not see any one, and he became alarm
ed, all the foolish stories told him about
ghosts and jimbies' coming up in his memory.
"l Glare! da's Gurus pusson he do
know nothin but bawl tCh0; sposen he jim
bic, come TO- carry me off for stealth birds
nesses Oh, wish Use home !!
"Who? Who? WhOT
"These words rang out from tree right
over his head, so strangely solemn of tone
that Toby fell to the ground.
30 good Massa Jimbe, don yo' tech me
amt de boy what stole de birds -nesses dab
boys name
Who's?
"'Oh, dat boys name Job Johnson, sal.'
the gloom was now quite deep, but
Toby saw just then, the form of bird in the
tree.
"lnstantly it flashed upon him that it was
Motmot that he had heard, and his courage
at once returned
"'Hum to think Is gwine to be afeared
OBJ bird! I'll jes' go home Rising and
casting stone at the inoffensive bird, he ran
off home, repeating as he went, though start
ing in terror at every sound, 'Aow did scare
! dat hrdr"