144 UP THE RIVER OF TAPIRS [chap, v 



Soon we heard the ominous gi'oaning of the herd, in 

 front of us, and almost on every 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 fii-ed ; 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 traU 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 results 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 Rondon 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. Then we found 

 my third one alive and at bay, and I kUled it with 

 another bullet. Finally we found the Colonel's. I told 

 him I should ask the authorities of the American museum 

 to mount his and one or two of mine in a group, to 

 commemorate our hunting together. 



