"Frank and I were rather pleased with the result of the encounter;
though I do not see why we should have taken sides with the peccary, who
would have eaten the birds--could she have caught them--and their eggs,
too, just as fast as the snake would have done. And why should we have
taken the part of the birds either, who, in their turn, had devoured
many a butterfly as bright and beautiful as themselves? But so it is.
From time immemorial, the poor snake--who is comparatively a harmless
animal, and whose deadly powers have been greatly exaggerated--has been
hated and persecuted by man more than any other creature; thus
fulfilling in a remarkable manner the prophecy of the Sacred Book.
"We began to consider what plan we should take to capture the animal.
We desired very much to get possession of the young ones, as we knew
they would be a valuable addition to our stock, and would serve us in
the place of real pigs--though their flesh does not taste much like
pork. It is more like that of the hare. In fact, it is not eatable at
all, unless certain precautions are taken immediately after the animal
is killed. There is a glandular opening on the back, just above the
rump, that has been improperly called a navel. In this opening, there
is a substance that emits a strong smell of musk; and if the whole part
be not cut out, in less than an hour after the animal has been killed,
the flesh becomes so impregnated with the musky odour, that it is quite
unpalatable. If the gland, however, be removed in time, peccary-pork is
not bad eating--though there is no lard in it, as in the common pork;
and, as we have said, it tastes more like the flesh of the hare.
"But my companion and I did not think of these things at the time. We
only thought of how we could capture the young peccaries.
"It was plain that, while the mother was with them, the thing would be
impossible. We knew that we dared not encounter the fierce brute. Even
had we had our dogs with us, she would have been more than a match for
both of them with her sharp tusks, and long crocodile-shaped jaws. In
fact, the most courageous dog will lower his tail, and run from the
attack of this animal; and if, on the contrary, he should await it, it
would only be to have a leg snapped off, or his side ripped open. It
was plain, then, as long as the old one was there to guard them, we
could never lay our fingers upon the `shoats.' What was to be done?
Should we send a rifle bullet at the mother? Frank thought this would
be cruel, and so it would have been. Still I knew that the peccary was
a fierce animal, and not much entitled to the mercy we would have shown
to a deer, or any harmless creature like that. I knew, moreover, that
there were a good many of them in the valley--for we had seen their
tracks in the mud--and it was exceedingly dangerous to come in contact
with them. Indeed, hunters and others have been often surrounded, and
torn in pieces by them. Such, then, being the case, I felt that it
would not be wise to let any of them escape, whenever we could destroy
them--else they might at some time destroy one of ourselves. With these
thoughts in my mind, I paid but little attention to the remonstrances of
Frank; but, bending down from the branch, on which we stood, I reached
for my rifle. I could just lay hold of the muzzle, as it leaned against
the tree; and, drawing it cautiously up, I prepared to fire.
"During all this time, the peccary had been busy with the carcass of the
snake. After killing it, she had bitten off the head; and, holding the
body between her forefeet, she had peeled off the skin with her tusks
and teeth as adroitly as a fishmonger would have skinned an eel! She
had just finished this operation as I got hold of the gun; and was now
tearing up the white flesh, and throwing it in small pieces to the
youngsters--all the while uttering low grants, that betokened her
satisfaction and enjoyment.
"I raised my rifle, and was about to take aim, when an object caught my
eye, which caused me to lower it again with a feeling of terror. The
peccary was about fifty yards from the tree upon which we stood; and
about twenty yards beyond, another animal, of a far different character,
was seen coming out of the jungle. It was about the size of a vealed
calf, but shorter in the legs, and much longer in the body. It was all
over of a deep red colour, except the breast and throat, which were
nearly white. Its ears were erect, short and blackish; its head and
muzzle cat-shaped; and its whole body somewhat resembled the figure of a
cat--except that its back, instead of being arched, was hollow, and sunk
away below the level of its gaunt muscular shoulders.
"It would have been a fearful thing to look at, even had we not known
what it was; but we did know, and that rendered the sight of it still
more terrifying. It was the `cougar!'
"Now, for the first time, since coming upon the spot, we felt fear. We
knew that the peccary, savage as it was, could not climb the tree; and
hitherto we had deemed ourselves secure. We were now no longer so. We
knew that the cougar could ascend a tree with the agility of a squirrel,
and was as much at home among the branches as upon the ground itself. I
knew all this; and I turned to my companion, and whispered him to remain
motionless and silent.
"The cougar came on with stealthy tread. His eyes, as we could see,
were set upon the unconscious peccary; and his legs were strained down
as he moved--so that one would have fancied he was crawling upon his
belly. His long tail, stretched away behind him, was gently waving from
side to side--exactly after the manner of a cat when stealing through
the stubble upon the basking partridge.
"All this time the peccary was greedily devouring the snake, wholly
unconscious of the danger that was gathering over her. The ground, for
some distance around her, was clear of weeds and brushwood; but a large
tree stood near; and its long, horizontal branches stretched out,
casting their shade upon the spot she occupied. On reaching the margin
of the weeds, that had hitherto partially concealed him, the cougar
suddenly stopped, and appeared to deliberate. He knew that, unless he
could spring suddenly and unawares upon the back of his victim, he would
have to encounter those terrible tusks, the effects of which he saw
exhibited at that moment on the carcass of the great reptile. He was
still too distant to reach the peccary with a single spring; and he
appeared to be considering how he might get a little nearer without
being discovered.
"All at once, his eyes rested upon the over-stretching branches--a
sudden change took place in his attitude; and, turning slowly and
silently, he crawled back among the weeds. We could see that he was
making a _detour_ to get upon the other side of the tree from that
occupied by the peccary. Presently we saw him approach the trunk, and
the next moment spring up more like a streak of red light than a living
animal. We could hear the rattle of his claws on the loose bark, as he
passed upward; and the peccary, too, seemed to have heard it, for she
threw up her head with a grunt, and stood for a moment listening.
"`Only a squirrel, perhaps!' thought she, and again resumed her
occupation.
"The cougar now appeared coming from behind the trunk; and, after
looking cautiously about him, commenced crawling out along the branch.
On reaching one of its forks, he gathered himself like a cat; and then,
with a terrific scream, sprang down upon the back of his victim. His
claws were buried in her neck at the first dash; and his long body
covered hers--his hind-legs and tail warping around her. The frightened
animal uttered a shrill cry, and struggled to free herself. Both rolled
over on the ground--the peccary all the while gnashing her jaws, and
continuing to send forth her strange sharp cries, until the woods echoed
again. Even the young ones ran around, mixing in the combat--now flung
sprawling upon the earth, now springing up again, snapping their little
jaws, and imitating the cry of their mother. The cougar alone fought in
silence. Since the first wild scream, not a sound had escaped him; but
from that moment his claws never relaxed their hold; and we could see
that with his teeth he was silently tearing the throat of his victim.
"The combat did not last long--only a few moments. The peccary soon
ceased to struggle, and lay upon her side--still in the embrace of her
terrible adversary--who had now torn open the veins of the neck, and
was, silently and cat-like, lapping the warm blood.
"With all the hostility which we felt for the cowardly cougar, we did
not deem it prudent to interfere. We knew that he would serve us just
as he was doing the peccary, if he only knew that we were so convenient
to him; and we therefore remained perfectly still, not daring to move
even a limb. He was not thirty yards from us, for the struggle had
brought both him and his victim nearer to our tree. I could have shot
him as he lay crouching in the enjoyment of his red meal; but I knew too
well the the uncertainty of killing such a muscular and powerful animal
with a rifle bullet; and I resolved to let him finish his feast, and
take himself off if he would, without any hindrance on our part.
"We were not allowed much time to think about it; for the combat was
hardly over, when strange voices reached our ears, coming from the
woods, apparently on all sides of us. They had reached the ears of the
cougar, too; for the fierce brute started suddenly to his legs, and
stood listening, and, as we thought, somewhat alarmed. He seemed to
hesitate a moment, looking around him and down at the fresh-killed
animal. Then, as if suddenly forming a resolution, he buried his teeth
in the throat of the dead peccary; and, swinging the carcass over his
long back, commenced retreating.
"He had made only a few steps, when the noises that had been all this
time growing more distinct were heard upon the very edge of the
underwood; and, the next moment, several dark objects bounded out into
the opening. We saw at a glance they were peccaries. There were twenty
or thirty in all. They had been summoned by the cries of the one that
had been killed. They came from every side, rushing simultaneously
forward, and uttering their shrill grants as they ran.
"They had got between the cougar and trees, before he could reach the
latter; and, in fact, they were upon him on all sides, almost in the
twinkling of an eye. They formed a complete circle around him; and with
their long bristles erected, their gnashing jaws, and shrill notes, they
presented a most formidable array.
"The cougar, seeing that his retreat was cut off--at least, so long as
he carried the carcass--flung off his burden, and leaped upon the
foremost of his advancing enemies, striking it to the ground with his
huge paws. He had not time to turn himself, however, when several
others fastened on him from behind; and we could see the red fur fly
from his sides, torn up by their sharp tusks. Now came the struggle in
earnest. For a short while the cougar kept his antagonists at bay--
striking them down and tearing them with teeth and claws; but at length
the whole herd closed upon him, and we could see the blood streaming
from his torn flanks. He now seemed to fight as if wishing to make his
way through them and escape; but the peccaries, as active as himself,
hemmed him in their midst, surrounding him with a dense mass of bodies
and snapping jaws. Twice or three times, the cougar sprang into the
air--as if to leap beyond the circle of his antagonists--but at the same
time several of these were also seen to rear upward, and intercept him
in the spring. At length, by a desperate effort, he succeeded in
clearing himself; and dashed out from among them, striving to escape.
What was our horror, on perceiving that he ran directly for the tree
upon which we were standing!
"With a feeling akin to despair, I cocked my rifle; but, before I could
bring it to bear upon his body, he had passed up the tree like a flash;
and lay crouching not twenty feet above our heads, and glaring down at
us! So close had he been in passing, that his claws brushed my arm, and
I could feel his warm breath upon my face! The peccaries had followed
to the foot of the tree, and there stopped--being unable to climb it.
Some of them ran around, gazing upward. Others tore the bark with their
teeth; and all of them uttered their shrill screams of fury and
disappointment.
"For some moments, Frank and I stood terror struck. We knew not what
was best to be done. There, above, was the terrible cougar, his eyes
glaring like balls of fire at ourselves, who were within reach of a
single spring! We knew not the moment he might leap down upon us.
Below, again, was an enemy, equally terrible, in the peccaries. They
would have torn us to pieces in an instant, had we attempted to descend
to the ground. No wonder, then, we were terrified at the dilemma in
which we were so suddenly placed. No wonder it was some moments before
I could gather resolution enough to act.
"At length, however, I bethought myself that of the two enemies the
cougar was certainly the worse. We were safe from the peccaries so long
as we remained upon the tree, while we were at the mercy of the other,
go where we would. I resolved, therefore, to direct my energies toward
the destruction of the latter.
"All this time, the cougar had remained where he had first perched
himself in an upper fork of the tree. He would, no doubt, have attacked
us sooner had he not dreaded the peccaries below; but he feared that by
springing at us he might precipitate himself amongst them; and this kept
him for the moment quiet. I knew very well, however, that as soon as
the animals at the foot of the tree should take their departure, our
fate would be sealed.
"My companion was unarmed. He had brought with him only his bow and
arrows. These had been left at the foot of the tree, and were already
crunched in pieces by the peccaries. I put him behind me, therefore--so
that he should be out of the way of the cougar in case I should only
succeed in wounding the latter, and it might spring upon us. All this
was done in silence, and as gently as possible, so as not to startle the
monster that lay above us, glaring and growling.
"As soon as I was ready, I brought up my rifle slowly and with great
caution. I steadied myself on the limb of the tree, and took aim
directly for the head of the cougar--which was the only part of him I
could see for the moss. I pulled trigger. The smoke for a while
blinded me, and I could not tell the effects of my shot; but I heard a
rustling noise--as of some heavy body falling through the leaves and
branches--then a dull sound as of the same body striking against the
earth--and the next instant louder screams, and a sudden rushing among
the peccaries. I looked below. I saw the red body of the cougar
struggling in their midst; but it did not struggle long, for in a few
moments it was tossed upon their snouts, and mangled by their long
fierce tusks."