UP THE RIVER OF TAPIRS 149 



Benedetto, as soon as we discovered the tracks, slipped 

 off his horse, changed his leggings for sandals, threw his 

 rifle over his arm, and took the trail of the herd, followed 

 by the only dog which would accompany him. The pec- 

 caries had gone into a broad belt of forest, with a marsh 

 on the farther side. At first Antonio led the colonel and 

 me, all of us on horseback, at a canter round this belt to 

 the marsh side, thinking the peccaries had gone almost 

 through it. But we could hear nothing. The dog only 

 occasionally barked, and then not loudly. Finally we 

 heard a shot. Benedetto had found the herd, which showed 

 no fear of him; he had backed out and fired a signal shot. 

 We all three went into the forest on foot toward where 

 the shot had been fired. It was dense jungle and stiflingly 

 hot. We could not see clearly for more than a few feet, 

 or move easily without free use of the machetes. Soon we 

 heard the ominous groaning of the herd, in front of us, 

 and almost on each side. Then Benedetto joined us, and 

 the dog appeared in the rear. We moved slowly forward, 

 toward the sound of the fierce moaning grunts which were 

 varied at times by a castanet chattering of the tusks. 

 Then we dimly made out the dark forms of the peccaries 

 moving very slowly to the left. My companions each 

 chose a tree to climb at need and pointed out one for me. 

 I fired at the half-seen form of a hog, through the vines, 

 leaves, and branches; the colonel fired; I fired three more 

 shots at other hogs; and the Indian also fired. The pec- 

 caries did not charge; walking and trotting, with bristles 

 erect, groaning and clacking their tusks, they disappeared 

 into the jungle. We could not see one of them clearly; 

 and not one was left dead. But a few paces on we came 



