126 CENTRAL AMERICA. 



steps, perhaps looking forwards to a chance 

 during the night ; and a chance he does 

 sometinies get by following some weary foot 

 traveller and catching him asleep. 



An accident of this kind occurred very near 

 my ranchos to a sort of government messenger 

 called a " Proprio," who had been sent by 

 the soi-disant Government of Nicaragua to 

 the equally estimable Government of Guati- 

 mala, and, wishing to travel on neutral ground, 

 took his way by the south of Segovia. 



He had called at the ranchos, and I had 

 offered him food and shelter for the night, as 

 he had travelled on foot a very great distance 

 that day ; but, after taking some refreshment 

 he started, against our advice, a little before 

 sunset, hoping to reach a cottage about ten or 

 twelve miles off; but he never did, for he 

 was found next day about eight miles on his 

 road dead and partly eaten. We concluded 

 that he had been very tired, and, overtaken 

 by the pitchy darkness of the forest, had lain 

 down to sleep close by the trail ; also that he 

 had been followed by a puma, who had 

 tracked him and caught him asleep. The 

 trail shewed it had been a leon, and not a 

 panther, that had done the deed, for there 

 was, for upwards of a mile, the trail of the 



