318 WILD ANIMALS. 



bright-coloured dogs, and commenced to force themselves through 

 the dense thicket, but the net-work of creepers so choked up the 

 path that every step of the way had to be cleared by the hunters 

 with the matchets carried for the purpose. The Indians that 

 remained in the canoes kept perfect silence, and sat with arms 

 ready and eyes keenly fixed on the foliage of the underwood 

 opposite their station. At last a tapir was driven out. The 

 chief exclaimed, " This time, the tapir, look yonder ! " "I 

 looked," continues Martinhez, " in the direction pointed out. I 

 could perceive something in motion among the leaves — a dark 

 brown body, smooth and rounded, the body of the tapir ! I 

 caught only a glimpse of it, as it sprang forward into the opening. 

 It was coming at full gallop, with its head carried between its 

 knees. The dogs were close after, and it looked not before it, but 

 dashed out and ran towards us as though blind. It made for the 

 water, just a few feet from the bow of our canoe. The chief and 

 I fired at the same time. I thought my bullet took effect, and so 

 thought the chief did his ; but the tapir, seeming not to heed the 

 shots, plunged into the stream and went under. The next 

 moment the whole string of dyed dogs came sweeping out of the 

 thicket, and leaped forward to where the game had disappeared. 

 There was blood upon the water. The tapir is hit, then, thought 

 I; and was about to point out the blood to the chief, when, on 

 turning, I saw the latter poising himself, knife in hand, near the 

 stern of the canoe. He was about to spring out of it. His eye 

 , was fixed on some object under the water. I looked in the same 

 direction. The waters of the Zingu are as clear as crystal; 

 against the sandy bottom, I could trace the dark-brown body of 

 the tapir. It was making for the deeper channel of the river, but 

 evidently dragging itself along with difficulty. One of its legs 

 was disabled by our shots. I had scarcely time to get a good 

 view of it before the chief sprang into the air, and dropped head 

 foremost into the water. I could see a struggle going on at the 

 bottom — turbid water came up to the surface — and then up came 

 the dark head of the savage chief. 



"'Ugh!' cried he, as he shook the water from his thick tresses, 

 and beckoned me to assist him — ' Ugh ! Senhor Martinhez, you 



