FIGHT OF THE JAGUAR AND CROCODILE.
The chiguires that escaped past the crocodile, the next instant plunged
into the river, and disappeared under the water. They would come to the
surface for breath in ten or twelve minutes, but at such a distance off
that they needed no longer fear pursuit from the same enemy.
Our travellers took no notice of them from the moment they were fairly
out of the bushes. They saw that the crocodile had knocked one of them
over; but the eyes of Guapo and Don Pablo were directed upon a different
place--the point at which the chiguires had sallied out of the
underwood. These knew that the animals had not issued forth in their
natural way, as if they were going to the stream to drink, or in search
of food. No--quite different. Their bristles were erect--they were
excited--they were terrified--beyond a doubt they were pursued!
Who or what was their pursuer? It might be an ocelot, or the yaguarundi,
or some one of the smaller cats; for many of these prey on the
defenceless capivara. It _might_ be one of these, thought Don Pablo and
Guapo; but what if it was not? What else could it be? What else? _The
jaguar!_
It _was_ the jaguar? As they stood gazing with looks full of
apprehension, the leaves of the underwood were seen to move, and then a
beautiful but terrible object, the spotted head of a jaguar, was thrust
forth. It remained a moment as if reconnoitring, and then the whole
body, bright and glistening, glided clear of the leaves, and stood
boldly out in front of the underwood. Here it halted another
moment--only a moment. The crocodile had turned itself, and was about
closing its jaws upon the body of the chiguire, when the jaguar seeing
this, uttered a loud scream, and making one bound forward, seized the
dead animal almost at the same instant.
They were now face to face,--the great lizard and the great cat; and
their common prey was between them. Each had a firm hold with his
powerful jaws, and each appeared determined to keep what he had got. The
yellow eyes of the jaguar seemed to flash fire, and the black sunken
orbs of the saurian glared with a lurid and deadly light. It was a
terrible picture to look upon.
For some seconds both remained apparently gazing into each other's eyes,
and firmly holding the prey between them. The tail of the jaguar
vibrated in sudden angry jerks, while that of the crocodile lay bent
into a semicircle, as if ready to be sprung at a moment's notice.
This inaction did not last long. The fury of the jaguar was evidently on
the increase. He was indignant that he, the king of the American forest,
should thus meet with opposition to his will; and, indeed, the crocodile
was about the only creature in all the wide Montaña that dare oppose him
in open fight. But he was determined to conquer even this enemy, and for
that purpose he prepared himself.
Still holding on to the capivara, and watching his opportunity, he
sprang suddenly forward, throwing one of his great paws far in advance.
His object was to _claw the eye_ of his adversary; for he well knew that
the latter was vulnerable neither upon its long snout, nor its gaunt
jaws, nor even upon the tough scaly skin of its throat. Its eyes alone
could be injured, and these were the objects of the jaguar's attack.
The thrust was a failure. The crocodile had anticipated such a manoeuvre,
and suddenly raising himself on his fore-legs, threw up one of his great
scaly hands and warded off the blow. The jaguar fearing to be clutched
between the strong fore-arms of the saurian, drew back to his former
position.
This manoeuvre, and its counter-manoeuvre, were repeated several times,
and although each time the struggle lasted a little longer than before,
and there was a good deal of lashing of tails and tearing of teeth, and
scratching of claws, still neither of the combatants seemed to gain any
great advantage. Both were now at the height of their fury, and a third
enemy approaching the spot would not have been heeded by either.
From the first the head of the crocodile had been turned to the water,
from which he was not distant over ten feet. He had, in fact, been
carrying his prey towards it when he was interrupted by the attack of
the jaguar; and now at every fresh opportunity he was pushing on, bit by
bit, in that direction. He knew that in his own proper element he would
be more than a match for his spotted assailant, and no doubt he might
have escaped from the contest by surrendering his prey. Had he been a
smaller crocodile he would have been only too glad to have done so; but
trusting to his size and strength, and perhaps not a little to the
justice of his cause, he was determined not to go without taking the
capivara along with him.
The jaguar, on the other hand, was just as determined he should not. He,
too, had some rights. The capivara would not have been killed so easily,
had he not frightened it from behind; besides, the crocodile was out of
his element. He was poaching on the domain of the forest monarch.
Bit by bit, the crocodile was gaining ground--at each fresh pause in the
struggle he was forging forward, pushing the chiguire before him, and of
course causing his antagonist to make ground backwards.
The jaguar at length felt his hind-feet in the water; and this seemed
to act upon him like a shock of electricity. All at once he let go his
hold of the capivara, ran a few feet forward, and then flattening his
body along the ground, prepared himself for a mighty spring. Before a
second had passed, he launched his body high into the air, and descended
upon the back of the crocodile just over his fore-shoulders! He did not
settle there, but ran nimbly down the back of the saurian towards its
hinder part, and its claws could be heard rattling against its scaly
skin.
In a moment more he was seen close-squatted along the crocodile's body,
and with his teeth tearing fiercely at the root of its tail. He knew
that after the eyes this was the most vulnerable part of his antagonist,
and if he had been allowed but a few minutes' time, he would soon have
disabled the crocodile; for to have seriously wounded the root of his
tail, would have been to have destroyed his essential weapon of offence.
The jaguar would have succeeded had the encounter occurred only a dozen
yards farther from the water. But the crocodile was close to the river's
edge, and perceiving the advantage against him, and that there was no
hope of dismounting his adversary, he dropped the capivara, and crawling
forward, plunged into the water. When fairly launched, he shot out from
the shore like an arrow, carrying the jaguar along, and the next moment
he had dived to the depth of the stream. The water was lashed into foam
by the blows of his feet and tail; but in the midst of the froth, the
yellow body of the jaguar was seen rising to the surface, and after
turning once or twice, as if searching for his hated enemy, the creature
headed for the bank and climbed out. He stood for a moment looking back
into the stream. He appeared less cowed than angry and disappointed. He
seemed to vow a future revenge; and then seizing the half-torn carcass
of the capivara, he threw it lightly over his shoulder and trotted off
into the thicket.
Our travellers had not watched this scene either closely or
continuously. They had been too busy all the time. From its commencement
they had been doing all in their power to get away from the spot; for
they dreaded lest the jaguar might either first overpower the crocodile
and then attack them, or being beaten off by the latter, might take it
into his head to revenge himself by killing whatever he could. With
these apprehensions, therefore, they had hastily carried everything
aboard, and drawing in their cable, pushed the balza from the shore.
When the fight came to an end, they had got fairly into the current, and
just as the jaguar disappeared, the raft was gliding swiftly down the
broad and rippling stream.