A YOUNG NATURALIST. 301 



would be sure to reappear; therefore Lucien and Sumichrast turned 

 to the left close by the stream, whilst I and my servant crouched 

 down behind the trunk of a tree at the entrance of the forest. 



We remained in this position for more than an hour, when sud- 

 denly the reeds were pushed aside, and two of the looked-for 

 pachyderms came out together on the green sward. 



L'Encuerado kept on crossing himself without intermission. 

 " Fire ! " said I, in a low voice, " and aim straight at the 

 forehead." 



The gun went off, and the tapirs decamped ; but one of them 

 fell on the ground before it could enter the water ; it was dead 

 ere we reached it. 



" You have killed the object of your dread," said Lucien, who 

 ran up to examine the curious animal. 



"Yes, Chanito, thanks to the enchanted bullets." 

 L'Encuerado having positively refused to touch the tapir, Sumi- 

 chrast undertook to cut it up, as we much wished to taste its 

 ilesh. All our efforts to induce the Indian to do likewise were 

 fruitless, and his ingenious mind found a retort to all our argu- 

 ments. The flesh of the animal reminded us a little of that of 

 the peccary, although it was less highly flavoured. 



About mid-day the tigers' skins were taken up, and the raft 

 was soon floating over the combined streams. We had at first 

 thought of proceeding in this way as far as the Gulf of Mexico ; 

 but the season was now too far advanced to admit of such an 

 excursion. We at length made up our minds that the next day 

 we should abandon our raft, and return by the shortest route 

 to our starting-point. 



At dawn of day our bivouac was enlivened by hundreds of 

 birds. L'Encuerado cut the mooring line of the raft, and let it 

 float down the stream, thanking it at the same time for the 

 services it had rendered us, and wishing it prosperity in its lonely 

 voyage to the ocean. 



As I stood watching the frail bark gliding away, two herons 

 perched upon it, and it soon glided out of sight laden with its 

 winged passengers: 



We were all ready to start ; the " Tapir Eiver," as Lucien had 



