66 NATURAL HISTORY IN ANECDOTE, 



hanging inside. "The gable end of this house was not 

 boarded up as high as the roof, but a large aperture was 

 left for light and air. By taking an enormous leap, a hungry 

 jaguar, attracted by the smell of the venison, had entered 

 the hut and devoured part of it. He was disturbed by the 

 return of the owners, and took his departure. The venison 

 was removed. The husband went away the night after to a 

 distance, and left his wife alone in the hut. She had not 

 been long in bed before she heard the jaguar leap in at the 

 open gable. There was no door between her room and 

 that in which he had entered, and she knew not how to 

 protect herself. She, however, screamed as loudly as she 

 could, and made all the violent noises she could think of, 

 which served to frighten him away at that time ; but she 

 knew he would come again, and she must be prepared for 

 him. She tried to make a large fire, but the wood was 

 expended. She thought of rolling herself up in the bed- 

 clothes, but these would be torn oiF. The idea of getting 

 under the low bedstead suggested' itself, but she felt sure 

 a paw would be stretched forth which would drag her out. 

 Her husband had taken all their firearms. At last, as she 

 heard, the jaguar scrambling up the end of the house, in 

 despair she got into a large store chest, the lid of which 

 closed with a spring. Scarcely was she within it, and had 

 dragged the Hd down, inserting her fingers between it and 

 the side of the chest, when the jaguar discovered where she 

 was. He smelt round the chest, tried to get his head in 

 through the crack, but fortunately he could not raise the lid. 

 He found her fingers and began to lick them; she felt 

 them bleed, but did not dare to move them for fear she 

 should be suffocated. At length the jaguar leaped on to the 

 lid, and his weight pressing down the lid, fractured her 

 fingers. Still she could not move. He smelt round again, 

 he pulled, he leaped on and off, till at last getting tired of 

 his vain efforts, he went away. The poor woman lay there 



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