234 MARTIN RATTLER.

chance, and there did not happen to be a tree near
him at the time up which he could climb.

With the energy of despair he let fly an arrow with
all his force, but the weak shaft glanced from the
tapir’s side without doing it the slightest damage.
Then Martin turned to fly, but at the same moment
the tapir did the same, to his great delight and sur-
prise. It wheeled round with a snort, and went off
crashing through the stout underwood as if it had
been grass, leaving a broad track behind it.

On another occasion he met with a formidable-
looking but comparatively harmless animal, called the
great ant-eater. This remarkable creature is about
six feet in length, with very short legs and very long
strong claws, a short curly tail, and a sharp snout,
out of which it thrusts a long narrow tongue. It can
roll itself up like a hedgehog, and when in this posi-
tion might be easily mistaken for a bundle of coarse
hay. It lives chiefly if not entirely upon ants.

When Martin discovered the great ant-eater, it was
about to begin its supper, so he watched it. The
plain was covered with ant-hills, somewhat pillar-like
in shape. At the foot of one of these the animal
made an attack, tearing up earth and sticks with its
cnormously strong claws, until it made a large hole in

the hard materials of which the hill was composed.