do the same. Then throwing out a long worm-like
tongue, which glittered with a viscous coating, she drew it back again
covered with ants. These passed into her mouth, and thence, of course,
into her capacious stomach. The tongue, which was more than a foot in
length, and nearly as thick as a quill, was again thrown out, and again
drawn back, and this operation she continued, the tongue making about
two "hauls" to every second of time! Now and then she stopped eating, in
order to give some instructions to the little one that was seen closely
imitating her, and with its more slender tongue dealing death among the
_termites_.

So very comic was the sight that Leon could not help laughing at it, as
he sat upon his perch.

An end, however, was put to his merriment, by the sudden appearance of
another animal--one of a different character. It was a large cat-like
creature, of a reddish-yellow, or tawny colour, long body and tail,
round head, with whiskers, and bright gleaming eyes. Leon had seen that
sort of animal before. He had seen it led in strings by Indians through
the streets of Cuzco, and he at once recognised it. It was the
_Puma_--the maneless lion of America.

The specimens which Leon had seen with the Indians had been rendered
tame and harmless. He knew that, but he had also been told that the
animal in its wild state is a savage and dangerous beast. This is true
of the puma in some districts, while in others the creature is cowardly,
and will flee at the sight of man. In all cases, however, when the puma
is brought to bay, it makes a desperate fight, and both dogs and men
have been killed in the attack.

Leon had not been frightened at the tamanoir. Even had it been a savage
creature, he knew it could not climb a tree--though there are two
smaller species of ant-bears in South America that can--and he therefore
knew he was quite safe on his perch. But his feelings were very
different when the red body of the puma came in sight. It could run up
the smoothest trunk in the forest with as much ease and agility as a
cat, and there would be no chance of escaping from it if it felt
disposed to attack him. Of this the boy was fully conscious, and no
wonder he was alarmed.

His first thought was to leap down, and make for the cinchona-trees,
where the others were; but the puma had entered the glade from that
side, and it was therefore directly in his way: he would have run right
in its teeth by going toward the cinch