WE KILL ANOTHER TAPIR 227 



to the dazzling goal that so strangely attracts them. 

 During several consecutive nights I observed one of our 

 small owls ^ hunting in this fashion. He had taken up 

 his quarters in a tree close to one of the arc-lamps. From 

 time to time he would dash out and capture a moth, 

 returning rapidly to his place of concealment so as to be 

 ready for the next comer. 



Shortly after leaving the abandoned Indian camp we 

 saw a tapir disporting himself in shallow water close to 

 the shore on our right. He saw us also and scrambling 

 up the steep bank disappeared into the forest before I 

 could fire a shot. ' The Pirate ' landed with his dogs 

 and started in pursuit. We on board could tell by the 

 yells of the hunter and the furious barking of his four- 

 footed assistants that they had come upon their quarry 

 suddenly. We could distinctly hear the snapping of the 

 boughs as the terrified animal dashed wildly through 

 the dense undergrowth clothing the banks of the stream. 

 For 200 yards he ran along the river. Then he came 

 into view with a bound and stood for a moment on 

 a projecting mass of rock overlooking a deep pool. The 

 dogs, now thoroughly excited, did not give him much 

 time to think, and the pursued and his pursuers 

 leaped into the river together. The Merevari is broad 

 and deep at this part, so that we felt certain of head- 

 ing our victim off before he could reach the opposite 

 shore. The men bent to the paddles with a will, shouting 

 and encouraging each other. In our excitement we lost 

 all control over ourselves, possessed by one passion, the 

 desire to kill, and this caused me in my eagerness to fire 

 while the tapir was still some distance from the shore. 

 I must have killed him outright, for he sank at once, 

 ' Glatccidium phalanoides. 



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