CUYOTE SIEGE. 189 



by the approach of man : — the following is 

 nearly in the words of the narrator : — 



"The tigre was treeVl, Don Jorge, and the 

 cuyotes were about fifty in number, and they 

 kept continually walking round and round 

 the tree where the panther was sitting, utter- 

 ing now and then a fierce growl. I saw this 

 in the forenoon," said the Indian, "from a 

 high tree which I had climbed up in search 

 of honey ; and towards sunset I mounted 

 the same tree, and the tigre was still there, 

 with the cuyotes under the tree ; but only 

 about half the number, as the others had 

 most likely gone in search of food, but at 

 sunset they returned and took the others' 

 places, who then took their departure. I 

 went to my rancho, and at sunrise was again 

 at my post, for I was very curious to see 

 how it would all terminate : the tigre and 

 the cuyotes were still there, but the smell 

 even where I was was horrible ; and if I 

 could smell it so strong, what must the tigre 

 have done, who was only a few feet above 

 it ; at last he took a leap into the middle of 

 the pack, and though he killed and disabled 

 a few, he was soon pulled to pieces." 



I cannot vouch for the truth of this strange 

 story of a siege, but have often heard it 



