154 Through the Brazilian Wilderness 



toward where the shot had been fired. It was dense jun- 

 gle and stiflingly hot. We could not see clearly for more 

 than a few feet, or move easily without free use of the 

 machetes. Soon we heard the ominous groaning of the 

 herd, in front of us, and almost on each side. Then 

 Benedetto joined us, and the dog appeared in the rear. 

 We moved slowly forward, toward the sound of the fierce 

 moaning grunts which were varied at times by a Castanet 

 chattering of the tusks. Then we dimly made out the 

 dark forms of the peccaries moving very slowly to the 

 left. My companions each chose a tree to climb at need 

 and pointed out one for me. I fired at the half-seen form 

 of a hog, through the vines, leaves, and branches; the 

 colonel fired ; I fired three more shots at other hogs ; and 

 the Indian also fired. The peccaries did not charge; 

 walking and trotting, with bristles erect, groaning and 

 clacking their tusks, they disappeared into the jungle. We 

 could not see one of them clearly; and not one was left 

 dead. But a few paces on we came across one of my 

 wounded ones, standing at bay by a palm trunk; and I 

 killed it forthwith. The dog would not even trail the 

 wounded ones ; but here Antonio came to the front. With 

 eyes almost as quick and sure as those of a wild beast he 

 had watched after every shot, and was able to tell the re- 

 sults in each case. He said that in addition to the one I 

 had just killed I had wounded two others so seriously that 

 he did not think they would go far, and that Colonel Ron- 

 don and he himself had each badly wounded one; and, 

 moreover, he showed the trails each wounded animal had 

 taken. The event justified him. In a few minutes we 

 found my second one dead. Then we found Antonio's. 



