"The alcalde waited, but the tapir did not come. At length one of his men appeared, and said that two of the six dogs had been killed by the tapir and another was severely hurt. They were young dogs, and had not shown proper caution; the old and experienced ones had refrained from venturing within reach of jaws or feet, and confined their attentions to barking at a safe distance.
"The alcalde hastened to the spot, and with his gun soon laid low the desperate animal. The young tapir was secured unhurt and brought home to the village. It was kindly treated, and in three days it followed its master around like a dog, and was perfectly domesticated. The animal lives on vegetable food (grass, fruit, and roots), and consequently he is easy to keep. This was the tame tapir that we saw; he was perfectly amiable in disposition, but his great size rendered him unsuitable to be maintained as a house pet, and he had been turned into the street to make his own living. I was told that the tame tapir never shows any disposition to return to his native wilds. In this respect he resembles the elephant, and I believe the naturalists class him in the elephant family.
"The alcalde had a houseful of pets, including several birds and monkeys, and, strangest of all, a snake. It was perfectly free, and was kept for killing rats, mice, lizards, and other things that were more destructive of the owner's property than is the snake. Manuel said it was a giboia, a species of boa constrictor; it is not poisonous, and when taken young is easily tamed. Frank was reminded of the rat-snake they had seen in Ceylon, and thought it must be the first cousin of the giboia."
WATER-SNAKES AT HOME.
Snakes are less common in South America than is generally supposed, though they are numerous enough for all practical purposes. There are one hundred and fifty species in all, while a similar area in tropical Asia contains three hundred varieties. Most of them are non-poisonous, but the proportion of venomous snakes is greater than in India or Ceylon.
The largest member of the serpent family is the boa; it has been found twenty-six feet long, though it rarely exceeds twenty feet. The largest of the boas can kill and swallow a small horse, while a goat or sheep forms only a comfortable mouthful. One of the most venomous is the coral, which haunts the cacao plantations, and has a fatal bite. Ammonia is used as an antidote to snake-bites, but the application must be made in a few minutes, before the poison is diffused in the blood. Doses of strong coffee, brandy, or some other stimulant will sometimes keep up the action of the heart and neutralize the effect of the poison until the victim is out of danger.
