s mouth!" And poking the end of his stick in front
of the creature's nose, it exhibited a pair of tusks sharp as lancets.
"It is a pig, certainly, but very unlike the pig of northern lands," he
observed. "This creature is a peccary; and though it is of no great
size, it is one of the most savage little animals in existence. A herd
of them will run down a jaguar; and though he may slay a few with his
paws, they will soon worry him to death with their sharp tusks, having
nothing like fear in their composition. We will take the precaution of
securing it before we haul it out, or it will be sure to do some of us
an injury."

A noose having been formed, it was slipped over the peccary's head, and
the animal was hauled-out and quickly despatched. Uncle Paul then
showed us a gland on the hinder part of the back, which he carefully cut
out, remarking that unless this was done it would impart a disagreeable
flavour to the rest of the meat. Tim and Sambo, after having secured it
to the end of a long stick, carried it in triumph to the settlement. We
found the meat excellent; and what we could not eat was smoked and laid
by for the voyage.

Tim was still dissatisfied at not being able to tame a few peccaries to
keep in his hut. He had sallied forth at daybreak one morning, bow in
hand, in search of game, promising to be back at breakfast. When
breakfast-time came, however, Tim did not appear. Arthur and I waited
for an hour or more, till we became somewhat anxious about our faithful
follower, and at last determined to go in search of him. We had noted
the direction he had taken, and hoped, therefore, to get upon his track.
We first visited the pitfall. It was empty; but we caught sight of
some recently broken twigs some way beyond, which showed that he had
gone further. On we went, therefore, shooting several birds which came
in our way.

We were pushing on, when we heard a voice which we knew to be Tim's
shouting out, "Up a tree! up a tree, gentlemen--for your lives!" We
looked round. Fortunately one was near, the branches of which enabled
us, without difficulty, to climb up it. At that instant we caught sight
of several dozen black-skinned creatures rushing towards us. Up the
tree we sprang; and scarcely had we got a few feet from the ground when
a whole herd of peccaries came rushing towards us, ploughing up the
ground with their tusks, and exhibiting other signs of rage.

No sooner had we seated ourselves