MED AMIN, ALAnREE:

All at once, at last, two spotted forms bounded high above the
grass and descended on the peccary. With fierce cat-like growls they
tried to fix their teeth and claws in its bristly bark. But the peccary,
dropping on the ground, rolled over and over, squealing, and instantly
the whole herd came rushing up, and in one minute would have made
mince-meat of the rash cats if they had not scurried up a tree. This
tree stood about thirty feet from mine.

While the beasts were climbing the trunk, and even after they had
settled themselves among the branches,
IT could see them perfectly well, but I
could not guess what they were. I only
knew they were some kind of cat. At first
glance I had thought of ocelots, but they
were too small, not so beautiful, and not
spotted in the same way.

But my study was cut short. The herd
of peccaries had discovered my presence.
Perhaps connecting me with their four-
footed enemies, they surrounded both trees
and began to gnaw the trunks furiously, as
if bent on cutting them through. My curiosity had got me in a
pretty fix! I had not enough ammunition to shoot a quarter of the
herd. Iand their other treed game were close prisoners. We might
have to stay in our trees until we perished from thirst, or dropped
down among the beasts. To descend alive among the peccaries would
be certain death. Iwas not more thana mile from camp, and possibly
might have called my Indians by firing a rapid succession of shots, but
all the gold of Brazil would not tempt an Indian to attack a drove of
white-lipped peccaries. I had one hope: it was early morning and the
day was all before me. Perhaps the vicious little beasts might get
intolerably thirsty themselves after awhile and make off.

But until they did leave, I must sit in my tree and wait. And I
did wait, hours and hours; waited until the noonday sun blazed down
through my leafy screen; waited until I would have given all I had

for a pint of water — and still the savage peccaries kept up the siege. .

 

WHITE-LIPPED PECCARY.