46 The Naturalist in La Plata. 



his poncho dragged him to the earth, and would no 

 doubt have quickly despatched him if a lasso, thrown 

 by one of the other men, had not closed round its 

 neck at this critical moment. It was quickly dragged 

 off, and eventually killed. But the discomfited 

 hunter did not stay to assist at the finish. He arose 

 from the ground unharmed, but in a violent passion 

 and blaspheming horribly, for he knew that his 

 reputation, which he prized above everything, had 

 suffered a great blow, and that he would be 

 mercilessly ridiculed by his associates. Getting on 

 his horse he rode away by himself from the scene 

 of his misadventure. Of what happened to him on 

 his homeward ride there were no witnesses ; but 

 his own account was as follows, and inasmuch as it 

 told against his own prowess it was readily believed : 

 Before riding a league, and while his bosom was 

 still burning with rage, a puma started up from the 

 long grass in his path, but made no attempt to run 

 away ; it merely sat up, he said, and looked at him 

 in a provokingly fearless manner. To slay this 

 animal with his knife, and so revenge himself on it 

 for the defeat he had just suffered, was his first 

 thought. He alighted and secured his horse by 

 tying its fore feet together, then, drawing his long, 

 heavy knife, rushed at the puma. Still it did not 

 stir. Raising his weapon he struck with a force 

 which would have split the animal's skull open if 

 the blow had fallen where it was intended to fall, 

 but with a quick movement the puma avoided it, 

 and at the same time lifted a foot and with lightning 

 rapidity dealt the aggressor a blow on the face, its 

 unsheathed claws literally dragging down the flesh 



