" and some of them thought they could perceive the passage of the
little arrow out of the tube. However this might be, they soon after
saw something sticking in the side of one of the macaws, and could see
the bird pecking at it with its great beak, and trying to pull it out.
In this it appeared to have succeeded after a short while, for something
fell from the tree. It was the shaft with its cotton "boss" that fell
down. The point, broken off where it had been notched, was still in the
body of the bird, and was infusing the deadly venom into its veins. In
about two minutes' time the wounded bird seemed to grow giddy, and began
to stagger. It then fell over, still clutching the branch with its
strong, prehensile claws; but after hanging a moment, these too relaxed,
and the body fell heavily to the ground. It was quite dead.

Long before it came down Guapo had pushed a fresh arrow into the tube,
and given a fresh puff through it, wounding a second of the macaws.
Then another arrow was chosen, and another victim, until several had
been shot, and the creatures upon the tree could be seen in all stages
of dying. Some, on receiving the wound, uttered a cry and flew off, but
the poison soon brought them down, and they invariably fell at no great
distance from the tree.

At length Guapo was seen to desist, and walk boldly out from his ambush.
To the surprise of all, the remaining macaws, of which there were still
six or seven upon the tree, showed no fear of him, nor did they attempt
to fly away! This was explained, however, by their subsequent conduct;
for in a few seconds more they were seen, one by one, falling to the
ground, until not a single bird was left upon the tree. All of them had
been killed by the arrows of the blow-gun!

Leon now ran out to assist Guapo in gathering his game. There were no
less than eight couple of them in all, and they were all quite dead--
some of them shot in the thigh, some in the neck or wing, and others
through the body. None of them had lived over two minutes after
receiving the wound. Such is the quickness with which the "curare" does
its work!

As a hunting instrument for most species of game the South American
Indian prefers the gravatana to any other; and with good reason. Had
Guapo been armed with a rifle or fowling-piece, he would have shot one
macaw, or perhaps a pair, and then the rest would have uttered a
tantalising scream, and winged their way out of his reach.