HUNTING THE JAGUAR 41 



water; to bungle meant more of the terrific pace 

 and perhaps to lose him altogether. "Dash," 

 the most daring and vicious fighter of the pack, 

 hurled himself in and gripped the tapir by the 

 flank. At the same moment the animal had 

 whirled, one hoof raised, and before it began to 

 descend or an eye-wink later the big beast 

 fell forward and lay quite still. There had been 

 no bungle. 



A pleasant smoke, a long, deep drink of water, 

 a quiet rest in the shade are pleasures that money 

 cannot bring, but have to be fairly earned to be 

 appreciated. The tapir was a large bull, and I 

 estimated his weight in this way: The men, six 

 of them, after cleaning, removing the head and 

 lower part of the legs, divided up the meat in 

 six parts, to the extent of what they considered a 

 fair load to each man. Figuring 50 pounds to a 

 man, and allowing for parts removed, I would 

 say 400 pounds very conservative. Taking large 

 palm leaves and securing with the smaller bush- 

 ropes or creepers, which make an excellent sub- 

 stitute for rope and cord the men made very 

 neat parcels of their loads, and passing across 

 their foreheads one of these supports, packed out 

 the meat much after the manner of the Canadian 

 woodsman. 



