MARTIN RATTLER. 197

like a peal of thunder, he sprang out and rushed at
the savages in front, who scattered like chaff right
and left. But at the same instant fifty blow-pipes
sent their poisoned shafts into his body, and, after a
few convulsive bounds, the splendid monarch of the
American forests fell dead on the ground. The black
Jaguar is a somewhat rare animal, and is very seldom
seen. ‘l’his one was therefore hailed as a great prize,
and the skin and claws were carefully preserved.

On the afternoon of the same day the party came
to a broad stream, over which they, or some other of
the numerous tribes in the country, had constructed a
very simple and curious bridge. It was a single rope
attached to an immense mass of rock on one side and
to the stem of a large tree on the other. On this
tight-rope was fastened a simple loop of cord, so con-
structed that it could encircle the waist of a man and
at the same time traverse from one end of the tight-
rope to the other. Barney put on a comical frown
when he came to this and saw the leader of the party
rest his weight in the loop, and, clinging with hands
and legs to the long rope, work himself slowly across.

“Arrah! it’s well for us, Martin, that we're used
to goin’ aloft,” said he, “or that same bridge would
try our narves a little.”

“So it would, Barney. I’ve seldom seen a more