ra and leave us to our
fate. We had no great confidence in them, though they behaved well
enough when we were present to keep them in order. The doctor's and the
padre's ammunition was already running short, too; though I, having used
my lance, had a larger supply. I calculated that I had what would kill
twenty peccaries; but still there would remain several dozens to be
disposed of. At last the doctor told me he had only a couple of charges
left; and shouting to the padre, we ascertained that he had the same
number. It would not do to expend these, as on our way back we might
have to defend ourselves against other wild beasts.

The doctor now took my lance, which he used with pretty good effect,
piercing five or six more of our enemies. He had pinned another to the
ground through the side, but in its struggles it snapped off the head of
the lance, and we had now only the charges which I had reserved for the
destruction of some of the remainder. Each time I fired I killed a
peccary; but we calculated that when I had fired the last shot I could
venture on, there would still remain upwards of forty of our fierce
little assailants--a number sufficient to kill every one of us, should
we descend to the ground.

We sat still for some minutes, considering what was best to be done.
Hunger, independent of the wish to continue our voyage, made us anxious
to get down; but the doctor warned the padre and me on no account to
make the attempt.

"I would sooner face a couple of jaguars than those little brutes," he
observed.

We were seated on our perches, disconsolate enough, it may be supposed,
when we heard a sound of cracking boughs, as if some creature was making
its way through the underwood, and presently we caught sight of a large
tapir with a jaguar on its back, dashing at headlong speed through the
forest. It attracted the attention of the peccaries, and they, for the
moment forgetting us, darted off in pursuit, possibly with the hope of
making both animals their prey.

"Now's our time," cried the doctor; "come, senor padre, descend from
your tree--quick!--quick!--and we'll make our way to the canoe."

The padre eagerly obeyed the summons; and came rolling, rather than
leaping, down to the ground, nearly dislocating his ankle. We each of
us took hold of his hands, and together, in spite of the pain he was
suffering, ran through the forest. As we did so, I looked back pretty
often to ascertain whether the ter