ld still insist upon his
carrying out the plan he had proposed. "God preserve us! I hope not:
one at a time is sufficient."

The words were scarce out of the negro's mouth, when a sharp screech,
heard at some distance, proclaimed the coming of the other jaguar; and
the moment after she was seen bounding over the savanna, with a rapidity
and gracefulness superb beyond admiration.

At the distance of about two hundred yards from the bank, as also from
the canoe, she came to a sudden stop; and with muzzle raised aloft,
scenting the air, and flanks quivering like an arrow after striking its
mark, she remained for some moments fixed to the spot. Meanwhile the
two whelps, that had been left in the covert of the bushes, were seen
hastening to join her. The canoe, no longer propelled by the paddle,
began to spin round with the ripple, keeping about the same distance
between it and the tiger crouched on the floating carcass.

"For Heaven's sake, Clara," said Costal impatiently, "keep the boat's
head to the current, or I shall never get close enough to fire. There
now--that is right--keep a steady hand--mine never shakes. It is
important I should kill this jaguar at the first shot. If not, one of
us is lost, to a certainty. Perhaps both; for if I miss we shall have
both the brutes to contend with, to say nothing of the brace of whelps."

All this while the jaguar was quietly descending the stream upon his
floating pedestal, and the distance between him and the canoe was
gradually diminishing. Already could be seen his fiery eyeballs rolling
in their sockets, and the quick oscillations of his tail, expressive of
his gathering rage.

The hunter had taken aim, and was about to pull trigger, when the canoe
commenced rocking about, as if tossed upon a stormy sea!

"What the devil are you about, Clara?" inquired the Indian in an angry
tone. "If you move in that way I could not hit one in a whole crowd of
tigers."

Whether it was through design, or that fear was troubling his senses,
and causing him to shift about, Clara, instead of keeping quiet, only
seemed to shake all the more.

"A thousand devils take you!" cried Costal, with increased rage. "Just
then I had him between the eyes."

Laying down his gun, the hunter snatched the paddle from the hands of
the black, and set about turning the canoe into its proper position.

This proved a work of some little time; and before Costal could succeed
in accomplishing hi