shriek rent the air.

"O God! my child--my child! Save him--save him!"

Both Don Pablo and Guapo dashed into the water and plunged forward to
meet him. In the next moment he was raised in their arms, but the blood
streamed down his body and limbs, apparently from a dozen wounds. As
they lifted him out of the water they saw what had caused these wounds.
A shoal of small fish, with ashy-green backs and bright orange bellies
and fins, was seen below. With large open mouths they had followed their
victim to the very surface, and now that he was lifted out of their
reach, they shot forward and attacked the legs of his rescuers, causing
Don Pablo and Guapo to dance up in the water, and make with all haste
for the bank. As soon as they had reached it, they turned round and
looked into the water. There were these blood-thirsty pursuers that had
followed them up to the very bank, and now swam about darting from point
to point, and ready for a fresh attack on any one that might enter the
water!

"They are the 'cannibal fish!'" said Guapo, in an angry tone, as he
turned to attend to Leon. "I shall punish them yet for it. Trust me,
young master, you shall be revenged!"

Leon was now carried up to the house, and it was found that in all he
had received nearly a dozen wounds! Some of them were on the calves of
his legs, where the piece of flesh was actually taken out! Had he been
farther out in the river, when first attacked, he might never have
reached the shore alive, as the fierce creatures were gathering in far
greater numbers when he was rescued, and would most undoubtedly have
torn him to pieces and eaten him up!

Such has been the fate of many persons who have fallen among the
"cannibal fish" in the midst of wide rivers where they had no chance of
escape. These ferocious little "caribes," or "caribitos," as they are
called (for the word _carib_ signifies cannibal), lie at the bottom of
rivers, and are not easily seen; but the moment an attack is made by one
of them, and a drop of blood stains the water, the whole shoal rises to
the surface, and woe to the creature that is assailed by their sharp
triangular teeth!

Of course the wounds of Leon, although painful, were not dangerous, but
the chief danger lay in the loss of blood which was pouring from so many
veins. But Guapo found ready to his hand the best thing in the world for
stopping it. On some mimosa-trees, not far from the house, he had
already observed--indeed,