He made a sign to the boatmen, who seized the carcass of the jaguar, bore it just below where the boat was moored, and the two lads followed to see it consigned to the swift river.
Here the men stood close to the edge, and acting in concert under Shaddy’s direction, they swung the carcass to and fro two or three times, gathering impetus at every sway, and then with one tremendous effort and a loud expiration of the breath they sent it flying several yards, for it to fall with a tremendous splash and sink slowly, the lighter-coloured portions being quite plain in the clear water as it settled down, sending great rings to each shore. Then the carcass rose slowly to the surface and began to float down-stream.
“Look,” cried Rob the next instant, as the smooth water suddenly became agitated, and dark shadows appeared to be moving beneath the surface. Then the jaguar moved suddenly to one side, as if it were alive, then back, to alter its course directly straight away from them, and again to begin travelling up stream; while the water boiled all round about it, and several silvery fish flashed out of the water and fell back; then heads and tails appeared as the fierce occupants of the river fought for morsels which they bit out of the flanks and limbs of the dead animal.
“Makes ’em mad to get at it,” said Shaddy, as the water grew more disturbed; “they’re coming up the river in shoals. You see there’s no skin to get through and fill their teeth with hair. Say, youngsters, talk about ground bait, don’t you wish you’d got your tackle ready? Might catch some good ones for supper.”
“And eat them after they’ve been feeding on that animal?”
“Better have them after feeding on that, Rob,” said Brazier, “than after a feast of I don’t know what. Why not try, Naylor?”
“No meat for a bait, sir. Let’s wait till they’ve done, and then I’ll fish for a dorado. We’ve got some oranges left.”
He ceased speaking, and they stood watching the carcass, which still floated, from the simple fact that a shoal of fish were attacking it from below, while so many came swarming, up from lower down the stream, attracted by the odour of the pieces of the jaguar, and the many fragments which ascended and floated away, that the carcass not only could not sink but was driven higher and higher toward the main river.
“Hah!” ejaculated Shaddy suddenly, “I thought that was coming.”
For suddenly there were dozens of silvery fish leaping in the air to fall back into the water, which ceased to boil, and a wave formed by the shoal swept down-stream.