jungle and piled up the wreckage to form
the ridge, was located at last. It was through this that the snake had
entered and the latter part of its body still clogged, at least
partially, the passage.

Warruk dragged in the remainder of the snake and breathed deeply the
fresh air and thrust first one forepaw and then the other into the
crevice which was too narrow to permit the passage of his bulky head and
body. His sharp claws caught in the edges of the break; the decayed wood
crumbled away. Encouraged, he began to claw at the sides of the
aperture, his excitement increasing until he was tearing at it
frantically with no other thought than to escape from the trap into
which he had fallen.

Daylight had come, however, before the opening had been increased to
twice its original size and turning his head sideways the prisoner
forced it through. His shoulders followed easily but when he attempted
to draw the remainder of his body through, the hole seemed too narrow,
holding him fast. After one or two tugs forward he tried to back out but
going in that direction too was impossible. This indeed was an unusual
and unenviable predicament, his forward half in the outer world which
meant freedom, the other in the dark hollow of the stub where the
serpent lay.

Just then a flock of wood-hewers, large, brown birds with strong, curved
beaks, that hopped up and around the stems and branches like woodpeckers
saw the young jaguar. They had been rummaging among the tangle of
decaying wood, feasting on the superabundant grubs and larvae. But no
sooner did they notice the prisoner than all thought of food vanished.
Like the jays, they never failed to take advantage of an opportunity to
tantalize some other creature, especially if they found the latter under
distressing circumstances.

They darted at Warruk, flitted back and forth, hopped nimbly along the
branches and raised their voices in low _churrs_ or louder agonized
wails. The cub was nonplussed and stared at the birds, at first blankly,
then angrily; but they grew constantly more impertinent, even making
daring sallies at his face as if to peck out his eyes.

One of the tormenters, unobserved by the captive, stole over the rim of
the stub to investigate things in the gloomy interior and, while its
brethren were busy outside found an undisputed field for activity in the
cavity. Swooping low it dug its sharp, strong beak into Warruk's back
just above the root of the tail.

Th