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A YOUNG NATURALIST. 459 



" If it wasn't for that," I urged on him, " do you think I 

 would permit Lucien to sleep in so dangerous a neighbor- 

 hood?" 



Sumichrast gave the Indian two* bullets, and solemnly 

 told him that with these projectiles he would surely kill 

 the object of his dread if he aimed straight. L'Encuerado 

 gradually recovered his self-possession ; the idea of slaying 

 in one of its most formidable shapes the cause of his super- 

 stition excited his self-esteem, and he went to sleep, and no 

 doubt dreamt of his next day's exploit. 



At day-break we walked down to the confluence of the 

 two rivers ; in front of us stretched a broad prairie covered 

 with thick grass. If the tapir had not quenched its thirst 

 in the night, it would be sure to reappear ; therefore Lucien 

 and Sumichrast turned to the left close by the stream, 

 while 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 suddenly 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 intermis- 

 sion. 



" 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, 

 Sumichrast undertook to cut it up, as we much wished to 

 taste its flesh. Ail our efforts to induce the Indian to do 



