ugh the frail bamboo
wall, or tear the door to pieces with his great claws in a moment. "If
it be a jaguar," thought she, "we are lost!"

Dona Isidora was a woman of courage. She was determined to defend the
lives of herself and daughter to the last. She looked around the house
for a weapon. The pistols of Don Pablo were hanging against the wall.
She knew they were loaded. She took them down, and looked to the flints
and priming, and then stationed herself at a place where she could see
out through the interstices of the bamboos. The little Leona kept by
her side, though she knew, that in a struggle with a ferocious jaguar,
she could give no help.

By this time the animal had crossed the river, and she could see it
spring out on the bank, and come on towards the house. In a few seconds
it was close to the porch, where it halted to reconnoitre. Dona Isidora
saw it very plainly, and would now have had a very good chance to fire
at it; but she did not wish to begin the combat. Perhaps it might go
away again, without attempting to enter the house. In order not to draw
its attention, she stood perfectly quiet, having cautioned Leona to do
the same.

It was not a large animal, though its aspect was fierce enough to
terrify any one. Its tiger-like eyes, and white teeth, which it showed
at intervals, were anything but pleasant to look upon. Its size,
however, was not so formidable; and Dona Isidora had understood the
jaguar to be a large animal; but there is also a smaller species of
jaguar. This might be the one.

After halting a moment, the creature turned to one side, and then
proceeded at a skulking trot around the house. Now and then it stopped
and looked toward the building, as if searching for some aperture by
which it might get in. Dona Isidora followed it round on the inside.
The walls were so open that she could mark all its movements; and, with
a pistol in each hand, she was ready for the attack, determined to fire
the moment it might threaten to spring against the bamboos.

On one side of the house, at a few paces distance, stood the mule. The
horse had been taken to the woods, and the mule was left alone. This
animal was tied to a tree, which shaded her from the sun. As soon as
the fierce creature got well round the house, it came in full view of
the mule, which now claimed its attention. The latter, on seeing it,
had started, and sprung round upon her halter, as if badly terrified by
the a