vation.

"Can't we rig up something to raise it with?"

"Yes; and for a pole a hundred feet long, if necessary."

The Professor made no further objections. Reaching the South River the
yaks were tethered, and taking advantage of the raft which they had used
on the first trip, they were soon on the way into the forest. On this
occasion they took a course to the right of their former exploits, the
desire being to acquaint themselves, as much as possible, with the
topography of the country toward the falls. Soon they came within sight
of game, squirrels, woodchucks; and many familiar varieties of birds
were seen on all sides.

What interested the boys most was an animal about three and a half feet
long, and almost three feet high, which they saw at a distance.

"What is that, Professor?"

"It is a giant ant-eater, found in many parts of South America."

"What a big bushy tail he has."

"He uses that in a peculiar way. When he sleeps he lies on one side,
rolls himself up so that his snout lies on his breast, places all his
feet together, and covers himself with that bushy tail. As the hair of
the tail resembles hay, or the surrounding dried grass, it is likely to
be passed by without being noticed."

"I wish we could get a shot at him."

"There is a fine pole," said Harry, whose keen interest was as great in
that quarter as in the hunting.

[Illustration: _Fig. 34. THE GIANT ANT-EATER_]

It was an exceptionally fine specimen of shell-bark hickory, and the
base was nearly six inches in diameter, but it was as straight as a
line, apparently, and it was fully thirty feet to the first limb.

"You couldn't get a better pole; but hickory is one of the heaviest
woods, and being green, it will be a task to raise it. It weighs, dry,
about 45 pounds per cubic foot."

"What is the weight of a cubic foot of water?"

"About sixty-four pounds."

"How much do you think that pole will weigh when it is trimmed up?"

The Professor, after carefully surveying the tree for a time, answered:
"It will weigh fully 400 pounds, but I am in favor of taking it, as we
know shell bark is a good American tree, and it is the kind of wood we
usually select on account of its strength. I know it will resist any
winds likely to come our way."

It was at once cut down, and on measuring was found to be 58 feet up to
the branching top, at which point it was not less than two inches in
diameter.

"Cut it off above the last crotch, as we sh