, Sumichrast
undertook to cut it up, as we much wished to taste its flesh. All our
efforts to induce the Indian to do likewise were fruitless, and his
ingenious mind found a retort to all our arguments. The flesh of the
animal reminded us a little of that of the peccary, although it was less
highly flavored.

About midday 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.

[Illustration]

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.

[Illustration: "The deer sank down under the weight of a puma."]

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 River," as Lucien had named it,
we bid adieu to with three hurrahs, and our little party set off,
following Sumichrast, who carried Master Job perched on his shoulder.

Our way lay in part through a prairie, where the heat was overpowering,
and in part through palm-tree woods, infested with mosquitoes. At last,
overcome by fatigue, we felt compelled to halt and bivouac for the
night.

As we were arranging our bivouac next night, l'Encuerado saw a crayfish,
and set off with Lucien to try and catch some of them. I and Sumichrast
started on the trail of some deer we had seen bounding past. We had
scarcely gone more than five hundred yards before we climbed a hill
beyond which a savannah was spread out before us as far as the eye could
reach, the high grass of which looked almost like ripe wheat.

Sumichrast, who had halted, summoned me by an imitation of the cry of an
owl. I hastily and noiselessly joined him, when he pointed out to me,
among the trees, a deer quietly browsing, which would no doubt pass
within gunshot. I stood watching by my friend, following with anxiety
all the movements of the graceful animal, for twice it threw up its head
and showed some vague uneasiness. Sumichrast, fearing tha