her warm
body, looked adoringly into her face, and purred, while she, proud and
happy in his possession, smoothed his soft, velvety fur with her tongue
while a deep rumble of satisfaction came from her throat.

It was shortly after this that the thing happened that caused Suma to
reverse her course of procedure so far as hunting was concerned, and
came near bringing dire consequences.

She was returning to her abode rather earlier than usual, having
succeeded in cutting off a straggler from the peccary herd and killing
it before its cries could bring the other numerous members of the band
to its rescue. Spurred on by some subtle sense of intuition she had
eaten hurriedly and then made for her home where the cub had been left
curled upon the rotting chips and leaves, sound asleep.

As she bounded lightly over the first prostrate tree-trunks of the
windfall, an infrequent but not unfamiliar odor assailed her nostrils.
It was a disagreeable smell, not unlike that of cabbage or potatoes in
the first stages of decay. The first tinge of it lashed her into frenzy
so that she sprang forward in great leaps risking the breaking of her
legs in the jam of branches and tangled creepers. Her only thought was
of her little one. Had she arrived in time to save him from a horrible
fate, or should she find the lair empty?

Near the entrance to the cavity she stopped with a terrible growl. The
sinewy body of a great snake--a bushmaster,--was gliding rapidly into
the opening; in fact, half its scale-covered length had already
disappeared from view. This was an advantage to the Jaguar for the head
with its death-dealing fangs, being in the cavity, was rendered harmless
unless the serpent had heard her coming and had doubled back with the
lightning speed of which it was capable. But, so fixed was its attention
upon the still sleeping cub that it had heard nothing until the growl
apprised it of the presence of danger; and then it was too late. The
great paw fell upon the back of the reptile with a crash, shattering the
bones and crushing the flesh into a pulp. Out of the cavity darted the
arrow-shaped head, hissing and lunging frantically and blindly in all
directions, while the latter half of the body writhed impotently and
twisted itself into knots; but the snake could not move from the spot.

Suma drew back to a safe distance and waited, and before long the
contortions of the great serpent became less violent; then they stopped
altog