PUMAS AND JAGUARS 95 



In his 'Pioneering in South Brazil,' Mr. Bigg-Wither 

 tells a curious story of a tight between a jaguar and a 

 herd of wild pigs, witnessed by some friends of his who 

 were exploring the country. One evening the two men 

 had come in very tired after a long day's work, during 

 which they had eaten nothing but fruit and honey, and 

 set up their camp in a belt of forest between two rivers. 

 They were sitting round their fire feeling very hungry and 

 longing for a good meal, when suddenly a great noise of 

 grunting and squeaking close by betrayed the presence 

 of pigs, and the men seized their guns and pricked up 

 their ears, thinking that here at last was their chance of 

 a dinner. 



Going cautiously in the direction of the sound, they 

 came upon a clearing. In the midst of the clearing was an 

 anthill, about rive feet high, and on the top of the anthill 

 stood a large jaguar. Bound the foot of the anthill were 

 a herd of fifty or sixty wild pigs, grunting, squeaking, and 

 bustling noisily about, but not knowing how to get at the 

 jaguar, who stood balancing himself uneasily on the crest 

 of the anthill, with his four feet well together, and his 

 tail high in the air, out of harm's way. 



But it was plain to the two men who were watching 

 that this state of things could not last long, and, indeed, 

 very soon, either from forgetfulness or from laziness, the: 

 jaguar allowed his tail to drop a little. In an instant it 

 was seized by a smart young pig, and the jaguar dragged 

 right down among his enemies, who closed in a dense 

 mass round him. In spite of the immense odds 

 against him, the animal fought well and pluckily. 

 Two or three times he actually struggled to his feet, and 

 struck out fiercely with his paws ; but the battle was 

 against him, and little by little the noise began to cease. 



Then the pigs slowly dispersed, and sauntered off by 

 ones and twos and threes, some in this direction and some 

 in that. When they were all out of sight the men came out 

 from behind their tree, and walked quickly to the battle- 



