s resting against the hill, apparently examining it, and
considering in what part of it the shell or roof was thinnest and
weakest. These cones, composed of agglutinated sand and earth, are
frequently so stoutly put together that it requires a pickaxe or crowbar
to break them open. But the ant-eater knew well that her fore-feet were
armed with an implement equal to either pick or crow, and she would
certainly have made a hole there and then, had she not noticed, on
looking around to the other side, that the inhabitants of the hill were
all abroad upon one of their forays. This seemed to bring about a
sudden change in her determination, and, dropping her fore-feet to the
ground, she once more threw up her great tail, and returned to where she
had left her young one. Partly pushing it before her with her snout,
and partly lifting it between her strong fore-arms, she succeeded in
bringing the latter to the border of the path along which travelled the
ants. Here she squatted down, and placed herself so that the point of
her nose just touched the selvedge of the swarming hosts, having caused
the youngster by her side to do the same. Then throwing out a long
worm-like tongue, which glittered with a viscous coating, she drew it
back again covered with ants. These passed into her mouth, and thence,
of course, into her capacious stomach. The tongue, which was more than
a foot in length, and nearly as thick as a quill, was again thrown out,
and again drawn back, and this operation she continued, the tongue
making about two "hauls" to every second of time! Now and then she
stopped eating, in order to give some instructions to the little one
that was seen closely imitating her, and with its more slender tongue
dealing death among the _termites_.

So very comic was the sight that Leon could not help laughing at it, as
he sat upon his perch.

An end, however, was put to his merriment, by the sudden appearance of
another animal--one of a different character. It was a large cat-like
creature, of a reddish-yellow, or tawny colour, long body and tail,
round head, with whiskers, and bright gleaming eyes. Leon had seen that
sort of animal before. He had seen it led in strings by Indians through
the streets of Cuzco, and he at once recognised it. It was the _Puma_--
the maneless lion of America.

The specimens which Leon had seen with the Indians had been rendered
tame and harmless. He knew that, but he had also been told th