would most probably have all fallen a sacrifice
to-night, if you had not slain their deadly foe. Pray wage war with all
his kind, or we shall not have a chicken left for the pot."

Ernest then examined the animal with his customary attention, and
declared that the proper name was the _margay_, a fact Fritz did not
dispute, only requesting that Jack might not meddle with the skin, as he
wished to preserve it for a belt. I recommended them to skin it
immediately, and give the flesh to the dogs. Jack, at the same time,
determined to skin his porcupine, to make dog-collars. Part of its
flesh went into the soup-kettle, and the rest was salted for the next
day. We then sought for some flat stones in the bed of the charming
little river that ran at a little distance from us, and set about
constructing a cooking-place. Francis collected dry wood for the fire;
and, while my wife was occupied in preparing our supper, I amused myself
by making some packing-needles for her rude work from the quills of the
porcupine. I held a large nail in the fire till it was red-hot, then,
holding the head in wet linen, I pierced the quills, and made several
needles, of various sizes, to the great contentment of our indefatigable
workwoman.

Still occupied with the idea of our castle in the air, I thought of
making a ladder of ropes; but this would be useless, if we did not
succeed in getting a cord over the lower branches, to draw it up.
Neither my sons nor myself could throw a stone, to which I had fastened
a cord, over these branches, which were thirty feet above us. It was
necessary to think of some other expedient. In the mean time, dinner was
ready. The porcupine made excellent soup, and the flesh was well-tasted,
though rather hard. My wife could not make up her mind to taste it, but
contented herself with a slice of ham and some cheese.

* * * * *

CHAPTER X.

After dinner, as I found we could not ascend at present, I suspended our
hammocks under the arched roots of our tree, and, covering the whole
with sailcloth, we had a shelter from the dew and the insects.

While my wife was employed making harness for the cow and ass, I went
with my sons to the shore, to look for wood fit for our use next day. We
saw a great quantity of wreck, but none fit for our purpose, till Ernest
met with a heap of bamboo canes, half buried in sand and mud. These were
exactly what I wanted. I drew them out of the sand,