ough Leon pitied the poor tamanoir, yet he dared not interfere, and
would have permitted the puma to finish his work, but at that moment a
sharp pain, which he suddenly felt in his ankle, caused him to start
upon his seat, and utter an involuntary scream.

CHAPTER TWENTY SIX.

ATTACK OF THE WHITE ANTS.

Leon looked down to ascertain what had caused him such a sudden pain.
The sight that met his eyes made his blood run cold. The ground below
was alive and moving. A white stratum of ants covered it on all sides
to the distance of several yards. _They were ascending the tree_! Nay,
more; a string of them had already crawled up; the trunk was crowded by
others coming after; and several were upon his feet, and legs, and
thighs! It was one of these that had stung him!

The fate of the ais--which he had just witnessed--and the sight of the
hideous host, caused him again to scream out. At the same time he had
risen to his feet, and was pulling himself up among the upper branches.
He soon reached the highest; but he had not been a moment there, when he
reflected that it would be no security. The creatures were crawling
upwards as fast as they could come.

His next thought was to descend again, leap from the tree, and crushing
the vermin under his feet, make for the bark-cutters. He had made up
his mind to this course, and was already half-down, when _he remembered
the puma_! In his alarm at the approach of the ants he had quite
forgotten this enemy, and he now remembered that it was directly in the
way of his intended escape. He turned his eyes in that direction. It
was not there! The ant-bears were still upon the ground--the young one
dead, and the mother struggling in her last agonies; but no puma!

The boy began to hope that his cries had frightened him off. His hope
was short-lived; for on glancing around the glade, he now beheld the
fierce brute crouching among the grass, and evidently coming towards
him! What was to be done? Would the puma attack him in the tree?
Surely he would; but what better would he be on the ground? No better,
but worse. At all events he had not time for much reflection, for
before two seconds the fierce puma was close to the tree. Leon was
helpless--he gave himself up for lost. He could only cry for help, and
he raised his voice to its highest pitch.

The puma did not spring up the tree at once, as Leon had expected. On
the contrary, it crouched round and round with gl