“A black jaguar!” shouted Topsie excitedly. “Have a care, all of you! Harry must have hit him, for he has bolted into the undergrowth. We shall have to be wary, for if he is lying in wait, he will spring out on some one as we ride by, and woe to the person on whom he springs.”
The jaguar had disappeared from view, but Shag’s angry attitude bespoke his near proximity. Topsie had to speak sternly to the dog, to prevent him springing forward in the track of the savage beast, a blow from whose paw, she knew well, would finish Shag’s career for ever, and apart from the great love which she bore the faithful animal, his life was too valuable to the success of the expedition, to permit of his courting the great danger of a personal encounter with the jaguar. Now what was to be done? To advance would be rash, to remain all huddled together in the narrow track impossible. In this dilemma Piñone came to the rescue. During his sojourn amongst the Traucos, he had seen these people attack both the jaguar and the puma, and he determined to copy their tactics on this occasion.
Dismounting from his horse, he handed the reins to Aniwee, and taking his spear out of its rest in the saddle, as well as two short javelin-looking darts, he walked boldly forward in front of the growling Shag. Then he began to limp as if in pain, and to moan pitifully, keeping, however, a sharp look-out in all directions for the sign, which he knew would shortly appear.
It came at last in the shape of two gleaming balls of fire, which showed all the more vividly that they were encased in the gloom of the thick forest. Then at once Piñone sprang to attention, knowing well that the gleaming balls were the jaguar’s eyes, and that if he did not strike quickly, the savage beast would do so instead. Like lightning the young Cacique drew himself up, and poised his darts, one after the other, in quick succession, hurling them with full force at the two gleaming lights. Then he grasped his spear and sprang forward, for the darts, aimed by a master hand, had struck straight home into the jaguar’s eyes. With a savage cry of agony and fury the poor brute reared himself up, every claw distended, and gnashing his teeth in mad fury, while his tail swept his sides with dull thuds terrible to hear. Yet even as he alighted with a crash amongst the undergrowth, from which he had just sprung, Piñone’s spear struck straight home into his heart, and passing right through his body, pinned him tightly to the earth. A shudder ran through his form as he gave one feeble wriggle and then lay still.
“That is how the Trauco kill the lione,” the Indian observed coolly, as the rest pressed forward to congratulate him on his prowess.
“What! the Traucos have darts, have they?” inquired Lady Vane in some surprise.
“Not so,” replied Piñone, “but they have arrows, which they shoot into the brute’s eyes, even as I flung the darts, and then they advance and stab their victim with their golden knives. It is of them that Piñone learned to kill the lione in this wise.”
“Are there many of these black jaguars about, Piñone?” inquired Topsie, as she knelt beside the splendid beast, and smoothed its soft, glossy skin. “It is the second black jaguar that I have ever seen. Alas! the first one was under circumstances sad enough.”
“Do not talk of it, Topsie,” exclaimed Harry hastily. He could never bear reference being made to the day when, as we have read in “The Young Castaways,” his imprudence brought about the death of his ancient relative Sir Harry Vane, the hermit of the Andes.
Of course a halt had to be called while two of the braves skinned and cut up the lione, a name which the Indians give alike to pumas and jaguars. In point of fierceness, however, the two animals cannot be compared, the latter being far and away the most dangerous to encounter, being more powerful, more determined and brave than their yellow confrères.