clutching a
black feather in her hand. The eagle had made good its escape and
flapped away above the green sea of treetops with a cry of triumph.

Myla was mad with grief for hours after that and the other three joined
their voices to her barks and wails of sorrow as they moved restlessly
among the branches in constant dread of another visit from their aerial
foe. But when at last this external show of emotion had subsided the
bereaved mother looked with envious eyes at the offspring of her more
fortunate sisters. The latter, however, were not slow to divine the
thoughts that filled her mind. When she approached them, apparently with
the most innocent of motives they charged savagely and drove her off.
All her plotting availed her nothing.

And now, Myla had observed the big, spotted cat stealthily making her
way over the windfall with food in her mouth. Not once, but many times
had she clandestinely peered from her concealed position among the dense
foliage; and each time the Jaguar had entered the same cavity in the
great tree-trunk. That could mean but one thing; she too had a baby.

A fierce hope sprang up in Myla's empty heart and rapidly grew into an
obsession; but soon she realized with a sinking sensation how futile
were her desires. She was no match for the Jaguar; indeed, the mere
sight of the fearsome beast made her tremble. Never could she muster
the courage to descend from her lofty perch while such a creature roamed
the earth below.

In spite of these sound conclusions, an indescribable fascination held
her prisoner in its grasp. So day after day she spied longingly and
furtively upon the comings and goings of the big cat.

As for Suma, unsuspicious of the existence of the pair of burning eyes
that followed her movements, the days were brimming over with
contentment.

Warruk was growing by the hour, or at least so it seemed, and increasing
in sprightliness each day. He even insisted on following her to the
entrance of the cavity when she departed and met her there when she
returned. The fear that he might some day disobey her injunction and
sally forth alone in her absence did not once occur to her. She trusted
him to obey, even if he was different in one respect from her other
children, and for this difference he was doubly precious to her. For,
the first beams of daylight falling upon his glossy fur revealed the
fact that he was _black_. Instead of being a miniature replica of his
mother with her