PROWLER OF THE NIGHT 133 



sensitive nose, and her neck was seized in a ter- 

 rible grip. There was a sudden, quick movement, 

 a dull crack, and the tapir sank down, her cer- 

 vical vertebra dislocated. Long- after this was 

 heard a queer, low sound as of bubbling, a frothy 

 breathing, and a ripping, tearing noise. Then 

 it ceased, and a deep, throaty purr vibrated. 



The jaguar was now wandering around and 

 smelling his "kill." In the course of time a drag- 

 ging sound ensued. He was endeavoring to con- 

 vey his prey to a distance, after the instincts of 

 his race. 



The jaguar fell to and fed voraciously. Tear- 

 ing open the viscera, he demolished first the 

 tender organs therein, and ate all the meat from 

 the breastbone. The moon had set. Above the 

 dark outline of the distant hills a faint and evan- 

 escent sheen lingered in the western sky, and 

 marked where her declining disk had lately been 

 slowly cut through by the black heads of jungle 

 trees ; and a complete hush had descended in that 

 short period of darkness which precedes the dawn. 



The jaguar began to drag the remains of his 

 "kill" yet farther into the jungle, with a view to 

 concealing it until his return the following even- 

 ing. Carefully he covered up the gory carcass 

 with leaves and grass, scratching them together 



