by the multitude of snow-white herons and of
long caimans, which, finding it out before us, crowded there in peaceful
unity, and with similar intentions. The vicinity of the scaly monsters
is scarcely heeded by the Indians, who fish and take their bath,
laughing and jesting, though somewhat hugging the shore, just as if
there were no such thing as the tail or the tooth of the jacare in the
world; and, indeed, these creatures are themselves in much greater
danger than the red-skins. When the last steak of alligator has been
consumed, one of the Canichanas is sure to ask leave to have some fun,
and to provide at the same time for their next dinner. Of course the
permission is always granted, as the sport keeps up their spirits and
spares our provisions. Without loss of time, then, one of them, having
carefully fastened a strong loop of raw hide at the end of a long pole,
and having dexterously slipped off his bast shirt, creeps slowly through
the shallow water, pole and sling in hand, as near as possible to the
alligator, which looks on at these preparations with perfect apathy,
only now and then betraying a sign of life by a lazy movement of its
powerful tail. But it does not take its eyes off the Indian as he crawls
nearer and nearer. The fatal sling is at arm's length from its muzzle,
and yet it does not see it. As if under the influence of witchcraft, it
continues to stare with its large protruding eyes at the bold hunter,
who in the next moment has thrown the loop over its head, and suddenly
drawn it to with a strong pull. The other Indians, who the while have
been cowering motionless on shore, now rush into the water to the help
of their companion, and four or five of them land the ugly creature that
with all its might struggles to get back into the water, lashing the
sand with its tail and showing its long teeth; but a few vigorous blows
with an axe on the tail and skull soon render it tame enough. If,
instead of dragging back, the alligator were only to rush forward boldly
to the attack of the Indians, they would, of a certainty, leave pole
and sling and run for their lives; but this bright idea never seems to
occur to the uncouth animal, and the strife always ends with its death.
Though there were more than a dozen of them killed during the voyage, I
never thought of sending a rifle-bullet through the thick skull of one,
except on one occasion, when I was afraid that one of our Canichanas was
about to make too clos