5506 A NATURALIST IN THE GUIANAS 



four legs cut off at the joints where they meet the body. 

 The trunk they had sunk in a pool, placing heavy stones 

 ■on it to prevent it from floating. They said that the 

 meat would be all the better for having soaked for a night 

 in water. A big log-fire had been made when the men 

 brought the news that a tapir had been killed, so that by 

 the time those who had been sent for the meat returned 

 everything was ready for the intended feast. The head, 

 with the skin left on, and v^dthout any preparation what- 

 ever, was placed on a sort of large gridiron made of green 

 sticks. The meat was cut off the other portions in strips ; 

 through these strips green twigs were stuck, and the twigs 

 being long enough were planted in the ground in a slant- 

 ing position so that the strips of meat hung over the fire. 

 The men sat around and recounted the day's hunt. 

 Although they had seen many fresh traces of tapirs after 

 leaving our camp, it was only late in the afternoon that 

 they succeeded in surprising and killing the one whose 

 flesh was simmering before us. Taken unawares the 

 poor beast, it appears, had leaped into a small but fairly 

 deep pool, where he was immediately surrounded bj^ the 

 hunters. Some of the men were armed with shot-guns, 

 others had cutlasses, and * the Pirate ' carried a lance. 

 The tapir, bewildered by the shouts of the men and the 

 barking of the dogs, made no attempt to break through 

 the circle and escape. Those who had guns discharged 

 them at close quarters into his body ; then the whole 

 band closed in upon him and hacked him to pieces after 

 the fashion of Brutus, Cassius, and company. ' The Pirate ' 

 claimed the honour of having administered the death- 

 stroke, but he never succeeded in proving his case to the 

 satisfaction of his co-assassins, so that the point remained 

 a disputed one ; and, as it was never definitely settled, it 



