he forest, intending to look out for trees to fell, Tim carrying his
axe to mark them. I had thoughtlessly left my bow and arrows behind,
and had only a long pointed stick in my hand. We had reached a somewhat
open space, and having passed across it, had arrived at a narrow
glade,--probably the result of a hurricane. Just at the edge of it Tim
had discovered one of the trees of which he was in search. We were
going up to it when, not twenty yards off, a huge jaguar stalked out of
the forest, and stood looking at us, apparently meditating a spring in
our direction!

"Do not run, as you value your life, Mr Guy," exclaimed Tim. "Stand
still, and I will tackle the gentleman."

I did as he advised, merely holding my pointed stick before me; though I
knew that had the jaguar attacked us it would have been of little more
use than a toothpick. Tim, however, ran boldly forward, and, to my
surprise, doffing his hat, exclaimed--

"The top of the morning to ye, Mr Jaguar. You will please to say what
you want, or take yourself out of this; for it's your room rather than
your company we would be after wishing for." The jaguar, astonished at
the coolness of the man, though he could not understand what was said,
turned slowly round and went off, trailing his tail after him as if he
felt himself conquered. On seeing this, Tim set up a wild shout, which
sounded to my ears like "Wallop--ahoo--aboo--Erin-go-bragh!" in which I
very heartily joined him, feeling no small satisfaction at the peaceable
termination of this our first interview with one of the very few wild
beasts we had to dread in the forests of the Orinoco.

The puma, or American lion, though not in reality quite so formidable as
a jaguar, is not a creature which an unarmed man would wish to meet when
alone; though, except when very hard pressed by hunger, or when it can
attack a person unprepared, it seldom destroys human beings. The savage
jaguar, on the contrary, will follow with stealthy feet the trail of the
Indian, and suddenly seizing him, deprive him of life. Though generally
not much larger than a wolf, it occasionally reaches the size of the
Indian tiger, and is often called the tiger or panther of the New World.
It greatly resembles the leopard, especially in its forest habits, as
by means of its powerful claws it can with ease spring up the trunk of a
tree, and make its way along a branch, ready to pounce down upon a foe.
It is truly the lord of the So