s of South America, not only plantations,
but whole villages, have been abandoned solely from fear of the jaguars!

CHAPTER XXXI.

A FAMILY OF JAGUARS.

As yet none of the exiles had seen any tracks or indications of the
terrible jaguar, and Don Pablo began to believe that there were none in
that district of country. He was not allowed to remain much longer in
this belief, for an incident occurred shortly after proving that at
least one pair of these fierce animals was not far off.

It was near the end of the summer, and the cinchona-trees on the side of
the river on which stood the house had been all cut down and "barked."
It became necessary, therefore, to cross the stream in search of others.
Indeed, numerous "manchas" had been seen on the other side, and to these
the "cascarilleros" now turned their attention. They, of course,
reached them by crossing the tree-bridge, and then keeping up the stream
on the farther side.

For several days they had been at work in this new direction, and were
getting bark in by the hundred-weight.

One day Guapo and Leon had gone by themselves--Guapo to fell the trees
as usual, and Leon who was now an expert bark-peeler, to use the
scalping-knife. Don Pablo had remained at home, busy with work in the
great magazine, for there was much to do there in the packing and
storing.

An hour or two after, Guapo was seen to return alone. He had broken the
handle of his axe, and having, several spare ones at the house, he had
returned to get one. Leon had remained in the woods.

Now Leon had finished his operations on such trees as Guapo had already
cut down, and not finding a good seat near, had walked towards the
precipice which was farther up the hill, and sat down upon one of the
loose rocks at its base. Here he amused himself by watching the parrots
and toucans that were fluttering through the trees over his head.

He noticed that just by his side there was a large hole or cave in the
cliff. He could see to the further end of it from where he sat, but
curiosity prompted him to step up to its mouth, and gave it a closer
examination. On doing so, he heard a noise, not unlike the mew of a cat.
It evidently came from the cave, and only increased his curiosity to
look inside. He put his head to the entrance, and there, in a sort of
nest, upon the bottom of the cave, he perceived two creatures, exactly
like two spotted kittens, only larger. They were about half as big as
full-gr