401 THE JAGUAR. 



but their efforts only resulted iii it seizing the poor little fel- 

 low's head with its powerful jaws. It was a moment of agony. 

 Their father was absent, but another Carib who was near 

 rushed to the spot, followed by the child's mother and some 

 other females. The beast, startled at this sudden increase in 

 the number of its assailants, dropped its victim, whom the man 

 immediately took up and gave to the mother. But assistance 

 had come too late. The child gave his last struggle as his 

 mother received him in her arms. When night set in, the 

 disappointed beast came back to claim his prey, roaring and 

 yelling through the hours of darkness around the open shed 

 which formed their dwelling. Females alone were present, 

 as the man had gone off to call the child's father ; and they 

 had great difficulty, with firebrands and shouting, in keeping 

 the brute off till help arrived. 



Some time after this, another man, of considerable personal 

 strength and cool courage, was one day in his field, with a little 

 dog playing by his side, when he saw a jaguar at a distance 

 watching his movements. The beast slunk away when ob- 

 served, and as the Carib had no gun, he went on quietly with 

 his work, clearing away the bush with his cutlass, which was 

 a new and sharp one. The jaguar had, however, marked 

 the dog for its prey, and only retreated to execute a flank 

 march through the bush, and to come unperceived on his 

 rear. Having effected this, it crept noiselessly forward, and 

 sprang on the dog, which was instantly killed. The Carib 

 rushed to the assistance of his favourite, compelling the 

 savage jaguar to relinquish its hold, but the creature turned 

 and sprang upon him. The man, however, anticipating the 

 attack, dashed forward and decided the contest by a single 

 blow, which buried his cutlass deep in the jaguar's skull. 



