Part 37 (2/2)
The next ular creature it was
It was about the size of a very large Newfoundland dog, though of a different shape It was covered all over with long brownish hair, part of which looked so coarse as to reserass or bristles On each shoulder was a wide strip of black, bordered hitish bands; and the tail, which was full three feet long, was clothed with a thick growth of coarse hair, several inches in length, that looked like strips of whalebone This was carried aloft, and curving over the back But the most curious feature of the anirey hound It would be a ”pug” in co, and not half so thick, with a little le tooth! It was certainly the oddest snout Leon had ever seen The legs, too, were re s; but this was because the creature in its hind-feet was _plantigrade_, that is, it walked with the whole of its soles touching the surface, which only bears and a few other sorts of quadrupeds do
Its fore-feet, too, were oddly placed upon the ground They had four long claws upon each, but these claws, instead of being spread out, as in the dog or cat, were all folded backward along the sole, and the creature, to avoid treading on them, actually walked on the sides of its feet! The claere only used for scraping up the ground, and then it could bring them forward in a perpendicular position, like the blade of a hoe, or the teeth of a garden-rake Of course, with feet furnished in such an out-of-the-way fashi+on, the aniround In fact it went very slowly, and with a stealthy pace
Although Leon had never seen the creature before, he had read about it, and had also seen pictures of it He knew it, therefore, at a glance
That proboscis-looking snout was not to beto no other creature than the _tareat ant-eater_, by the people of South A; but to Leon's astonishot fairly out of the bushes, he noticed a singular-looking hunch upon its back, just over the shoulder At first he could not make out what this was, as he had never heard of such a protuberance, besides, the tail half hid it from his view All of a sudden the animal turned its head backwards, touched the hunch with its snout, gave itself a shake, and then the odd excrescence fell to the ground, and proved to be a young ant-eater, with bushy tail and long snout, the ”very ie one was thus seen to be a fe her infant upon her shoulders
It was close to one of the ant-hills where the old ta away fro herself upon her hind-feet, she stood with the fore ones resting against the hill, apparently exa in what part of it the shell or roof was thinnest and weakest These cones, colutinated sand and earth, are frequently so stoutly put together that it requires a pick-axe or crowbar to break them open
But the ant-eater kneell that her fore-feet were armed with an implement equal to either pick or crow, and she would certainly havearound to the other side, that the inhabitants of the hill were all abroad upon one of their forays This seee in her deterround, she once reat tail, and returned to where she had left her young one Partly pushi+ng it before her with her snout, and partly lifting it between her strong fore-ar the latter to the border of the path along which travelled the ants
Here she squatted down, and placed herself so that the point of her nose just touched the selvedge of the swarster by her side to do the salittered with a viscous coating, she drew it back again covered with ants These passed into her mouth, and thence, of course, into her capacious stoth, and nearly as thick as a quill, was again thrown out, and again drawn back, and this operation she continued, the tongueabout two ”hauls” to every second of tiive some instructions to the little one that was seen closely i death aht 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 anie cat-like creature, of a reddish-yellow, or tawny colour, long body and tail, round head, hiskers, and bright glea eyes Leon had seen that sort of anih 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 anierous beast This is true of the puma in some districts, while in others the creature is cowardly, and will flee at the sight of ht to bay, it s and men have been killed in the attack
Leon had not been frightened at the tae creature, he knew it could not clih there are two smaller species of ant-bears in South America that can--and he therefore kneas quite safe on his perch But his feelings were very different when the red body of the puht It could run up the sility 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 alarht was to leap down, and make for the cinchona-trees, where the others were; but the pulade from that side, and it was therefore directly in his way: he would have run right in its teeth by going toward the cinchona-trees He next thought of slipping quietly down, and getting into the woods behind him
Unfortunately, the tree on which he was stood out in the glade quite apart froo off, and, of course, could overtake hih the boy's mind in a few seconds of time; and in a few seconds of time he was convinced that his best course would be to remain where he was, and keep quiet Perhaps the puma would not notice him--as yet he had not
No doubt he would have done so, had there been nothing else on the spot to take off his attention; but just as he caround, his eyes fell upon the ant-eaters, where they lay squatted and licking up the ter trot, but the moment he saw the ta attitude, and re tail oscillated fro upon a mouse or a sparrow
Just at thisturned round to address so to her feet
She recognised in the puma--as in others of his race--a deadly ene one behind her, until it rested against the wall of the ant-hill, and then, following in all haste, threw herself into an erect attitude in front of her young, covering it with her body
She was now standing firainst thesnout had entirely disappeared! That was held close along her breast, and entirely concealed by the shaggy tail, which for this purpose had been brought up in front Her defence rested in her strong fore-arles, were now held out in a threatening er, had drawn itself into its smallest bulk, and was clewed up behind her
The puan the attack He looked as though he would carry everything by the first assault; but a sharp tear from the tah it rendered him more furious, it seemed to increase his caution In the two or three successive attempts he kept prudently out of reach of these terrible weapons His adversary held her fore-legs wide open, as though she was desirous of getting the other to rush between theht clutch him, after the manner of the bears
This was exactly what she wanted, and in this consists the chief mode of defence adopted by these animals The puma, however, seeaer, had it not been for the young tamanoir This foolish little creature, who up to that moment was not very sure what the fuss was all about, had the imprudent curiosity to thrust out its slender snout The pu a dart forward, seized the snout in his great teeth, and jerked the animal from under It uttered a low squall, but the next moment its head was ”crunched” between the muscular jaws of the puma
The old one now appeared to lose all fear and caution Her tail fell down Her long snout was unsheathed from under its protection, and she seemed undecided what to do But she was not allowedthe snout, the most vulnerable part, uncovered, launched hiht hold of it in his bristling fangs Then having dragged his victi rapidly on her back, proceeded to worry her at his pleasure
Although Leon pitied the poor tamanoir, yet he dared not interfere, and would have permitted the puma to finish his work, but at that moment a sharp pain, which he suddenly felt in his ankle, caused him to start upon his seat, and utter an involuntary scream
CHAPTER XXVI