knife in hand.

"Look out, gentlemen; he's going to land now!"

For the jaguar made a dash forward, after drawing back a bit, and came
close up, so that they could see the gleaming of its eyes in its
flattened, cruel-looking head.

The puma struck at it again with a savage yell, but it was beyond the
reach of its powerful paw, and the jaguar swam to and fro again in front
of their defender, evidently feeling itself at a disadvantage and warily
waiting for an opportunity to climb up the tree.

This, however, it could not find, and it continued its tactics, swimming
as easily and well as an eastern tiger of the Straits, while the puma
shifted its position from time to time on Shaddy's back, making that
gentleman grunt softly:

"That's right: never mind me, messmate. Glad you've got so much
confidence in me. Keep him off, and give him one of those licks on the
side of the head if he does come within reach. You'll be too much for
him, of course. Steady!"

By this time Rob had shifted his position, and was crawling down on the
other side of the puma, ready to make a thrust with his knife.

Still the jaguar did not come on, but swam warily to and fro, as a faint
light began to dawn upon the strange scene; and the change came rapidly,
till there before them was the fierce creature, which paused at last and
seemed to float out slowly, raising its paws, while its long tail waved
softly behind it on the surface of the water like a snake.

"Now," cried Rob, "he's going to spring."

He was quite right, for the jaguar gathered itself together, and made a
dash which shot it forward; but there was water beneath its powerful
hindquarters instead of solid earth, and instead of its alighting from
its bound right upon the puma it only forced itself within reach of the
tawny animal's claws, which struck at it right and left with the
rapidity of lightning on either side of its neck, and drove it under
water.

It rose to the surface to utter a deafening roar, which was answered
with savage defiance by the puma from its post of vantage upon Shaddy;
but the jaguar was satisfied of its powerless position, and turned and
slowly swam toward the huge tree upon their left.

"Why, it's going to climb up there by the serpent!" cried Rob, in a
voice husky with excitement.

At that moment the puma leaped from Shaddy's back up one of the great
branches nearest to the next tree, whence he poured down a fierce
torrent of feline defianc