A STEP-CHILD OF NATURE. 87 



pieces, having been gnawed through to the very bone 

 all along the spine. A trail of blood from the coppice 

 to the next caucho-tree told the story of her misfortune. 

 The comadrons had tackled her in the tree-top and 

 worried her till she attempted to escape the best way 

 she could, by letting go and dropping to the ground 



PREPAYING THE DEBT OF NATURE. 



with the youngster in her arms. But the murderers 

 followed and rode her into the next bush, biting away 

 till they brought her to a stand-still. 



Palm-rats and tree-raccoons, too, are apt to try their 

 teeth on the helpless edentate ; nay, his near relatives 

 and fellow-vegetarians the marmosets and sapajou mon- 



