Europeans will be surprised, and ask how it is possible to take the honey from the irritated bees without being stung to death. The bees in this country, however, are not so spiteful as in the Old World: it is only when you are near a filled bee-tree, and strike at the bees with a branch or a cloth, that you are attacked and pursued by them; but if you go quickly up to the honey, and are careful not to touch any bees, you are never stung. The honey of these wild bees is far sweeter and more toothsome than that in England: it is very spicy, but at times so impregnated with pepper, that much of it cannot be eaten. I have often felled bee-trees whose honey was so clear that it could not be distinguished from a glass of water put by its side. If you are near home when you cut down a bee-tree, you drive the creatures, which have collected close by in a swarm round their queen, into a bag, take them home, and shake them out into a hollowed tree, nail a board at top and bottom, cut a hole in the lower board, and place it above-ground at a spot protected from the north wind. The bees at once set to work, continuing it winter and summer, and in a short time the hive is filled with honey and wax. We only regretted that we had no vessel in which we could take a supply of this exquisite honey with us.
We had eaten heartily of it when we set out about 3 P.M. and continued our journey down the stream. The sun was sinking behind the mountains on our left, when we again struck the stream which we had left in pursuing a northern course, and resolved to pass the night here. The valley was narrow to the west and to the east; the prairie rose towards the mountains, and some old oaks grew on it. We had unsaddled, hobbled our horses, and lit a fire, when Tiger took his rifle and went towards the western hills to see whether he could procure any fresh game, as our stock was entirely exhausted. The sun had set, the time hung heavy at the fire, so I rose, took my rifle, and walked slowly down the stream, while Trusty ran ahead in the scrub. I had hardly gone a hundred yards when I noticed that the stream turned to the west a little lower down, and its banks were covered with rocks. Suddenly there was a crash in the scrub ahead of me, and I heard a loud wail which filled me with terror, for I knew the sound but too well—it was the wail of a jaguar cub, which Trusty held in his teeth. I ran up and saw him shaking one, while another was escaping in the bushes. As I knew exactly what would happen, I looked around, with my cocked rifle in my hand, and saw the mother coming down with terrible bounds from the oak clumps higher up. There was not a tree near, and I must await it in the open. Trusty placed himself close to my side, and with every hair bristling he uttered his most savage bass notes through his gnashing teeth. The only thing now was to hit, or else Trusty at least was lost, and myself too very probably. Forty paces from me the infuriated brute crouched, displaying its fangs and lashing its sides with its long spotted tail. When I shot, the beast turned over, but then flew towards me with a fresh spring. I shot again, and it rolled on the ground. The ball had broken its spine, and, unable to move its hind-quarters, the raging brute rolled and roared, and dug its mighty claws into the grass, which it dyed with its blood. It was now harmless, and I regretted that I had not my sketch-book with me to draw it in its paroxysm of fury. It was a majestic animal, and the splendid golden yellow of its coat, with its black and white spots, was heightened by the dark red of the blood which streamed from its back and chest. Lying on the ground with its hind-quarters, it stood erect on its mighty fore-legs, and with its thick round neck slightly bent down, it raised its savage open jaws towards me, while the large, yellow, catlike eyes flashed. At the same time the brute made the valley ring with the most fearful roars uttered at intervals. So soon as I approached it it sprang towards me, and dragged its hind-quarters along on the grass, while showing its terrible claws. I went up close to it, and fired a revolver bullet through its head, whereon it fell lifeless.
After reloading, I went back to camp to wait for Tiger, whom I had also heard firing. It was dark when I heard him coming, and saw his brown elastic form coming through the bushes. Over his right shoulder hung two deer legs, and the stripped-off meat of the back was thrown across the barrel of his long rifle, which rested on his left shoulder. He threw down his load, lay on his stomach on the river bank, and quenched his thirst. Then he returned to the fire, and said that I had been shooting too, and intimated by three fingers the number of shots I had fired. I answered him that my deer was lying down the stream, but we would sup first and then fetch it.
We now attacked the excellent venison and enjoyed a hearty supper, when I gave Tiger a sign to follow me. I led him to the jaguar, and he uttered a loud cry when he saw it lying on the grass with the cub by its side. The moon lit us while we stripped off its splendid skin, which was larger than the one we had obtained a few days previously. We took the cub to camp, as Tiger told me its flesh was a great dainty; then he stripped and paunched it, and hung it up to a tree. We then stretched out the large hide, put it in front of the fire, and slept quietly and undisturbed till morning.
I was very curious about the new dish which I was to taste for breakfast. The very white meat of the young jaguar, which was about the size of an ordinary shepherd's colley, looked very tempting, and I put some pieces of it before the fire, while Tiger made his breakfast entirely of it. I tasted it when it browned, and it was very nice, though it had a musky flavour which prevented me from eating much of it. Hence I applied once more to the deer meat, which I liked better, and concluded my meal with the rest of the honeycomb which I had carried on Jack, wrapped in large magnolia leaves and a piece of deer hide. Tiger revelled in his meat, and on saddling packed up the rest for supper.
On this day we followed the stream, which flowed for about five miles westward, but then suddenly turned round a tall hill to the east, and probably fell into the Rio Grande. Here we left it, however, and rode up a small stream which joined it and came from the west. We followed the narrow valley through which it ran and found there a rather broad, though at times stony road. It was bordered on both sides by granitic hills, and ran rather steeply up to the heights, where it expanded into a table-land. This plateau lay on the top of the mountains which we had seen to the west when riding up, and I resolved to follow it in that direction, so as if possible to reach the declivity on the other side before night surprised us, as the barrenness of these lofty plateaus recalled unpleasant reminiscences. This plateau was about fifteen miles in breadth, and in the afternoon we reached its western side, where an endless plain stretched out at our feet, bounded in the remote distance by very lofty mountains, a few spurs of which ran out into the valley. The valley was thickly covered with grass, and, as it seemed to me, well watered and wooded. From our stand-point it must be at least one hundred and fifty miles broad, and to the south we could not see its termination. The plain, as far as we could survey it, was covered with herds of buffalo, while nearer to us deer and wild horses were grazing. How many thousands of men could easily find a living here, while in old Europe law-suits are carried on for years about an acre of land, and yet I was the only white man whose eye had rested on the inexhaustible treasures which nature had stored up here. Still the time will come when the plough will cross this beautiful plain in all directions; the smoke will rise from the hearths of prosperous planters; the church bells will summon the neighbours to church, and "hell in harness" (as the Americans call the locomotive) will snort and whistle through their valley.
Our road down to the plain, though not very steep, was fatiguing and wearisome, as the hill-side was here and there cut up by broad cañons, which we were compelled to ride round. As we were going down one of these ravines, one of the beautiful leopard-cats, so frequent in these mountains, sprang out of the loose stones not far from us. I sent Trusty after it down the ravine, and ere long he began barking. We hurried on as quickly as we could, and on looking down I saw the beautifully-spotted creature crouching on an isolated rock, while Trusty was leaping round it and barking. It was too far to fire with a certainty of killing, for though Trusty was quite as strong, he might easily be so injured as to be unfitted for the fatigue of our tour. Hence I dismounted, and crept near the stone on which the leopard-cat lay. I went up high enough to see it, and sent a bullet through its head. The rock was too high for me to climb up it and fetch the beast down, so I was obliged to wait till Trusty arrived. I raised him on to the rock, and he pulled the creature down. Then I returned to our cattle, while Tiger stripped the cat and brought me the skin.
These handsomely-marked animals are most dangerous to game: they kill, even when quite full, merely for the sake of the blood, and never miss an opportunity to capture their quarry. They creep with incredible skill and certainty, as well as indefatigable patience, up to the game, on which they leap with lightning speed, and do not let it go till it has given them its blood. When wounded or beset, they attack their pursuer with great fury and determination, and many an Indian, under such circumstances, has been severely injured by them. They generally live and hunt in couples, and prefer rocky regions to the plains, but also come down to the woods, where they leap down from the trees on the game, and bite it to death in the neck. Tiger shot two more of these animals before we reached the plain, which took place in the afternoon, and we camped on a stream at an early hour.
