f-a-dozen large turtles lay upon
their backs close by. The flesh of these Guapo intended to scoop out
and fry down, so as to be carried away as a sort of stock of preserved
meat;--and a very excellent idea it was. He had caught them during his
watch as they came out of the water.

All the turtles had gone off, although this is not always the case; for
frequently numbers that have not finished covering their eggs during the
night may be seen hard at work in the morning, and so intent on it, that
they do not heed the presence of their worst enemies. These the Indians
denominate "mad tortoises."

This morning, however, no "mad tortoises" were to be seen; but when our
travellers cast their eyes along the beach they saw quite a number that
appeared to be turned upon their backs just like those that Guapo had
capsized. They were at some distance from the camp, but curiosity
prompted our travellers to walk along the beach and examine them. Sure
enough there were nearly a dozen large tortoises regularly laid on their
backs, and unable to stir; but, besides these, there were several
tortoise-shells out of which the flesh had been freshly scooped, and
these were as neatly cleaned out as if the work had been done by an
anatomist. All this would have been a mystery but for the experience of
Guapo; but Guapo knew it was the jaguar that had turned the tortoises on
their backs, and that had cleaned out and eaten the flesh from the empty
shells!

Now, it is no easy thing for a man, provided with the necessary
implements, to separate the flesh of a tortoise from its shell, and yet
the jaguar, with his paw, can in a few minutes perform this operation
most adroitly, as our travellers had full proof. All that they saw had
been done that same night; and it gave them no very pleasant feeling to
know that the jaguar had been at work so near them. This animal, as
Guapo said, in attacking the turtles, first turns them over, so as to
prevent their escape--for the "carapas" are of those tortoises that once
upon their backs on level ground cannot right themselves again. He then
proceeds to tear out the flesh, and eats it at his leisure. Oftentimes
he capsizes a far greater number than he can eat, and even returns to
the spot to have a second meal of them; but frequently the Indians
wandering along the river, find the tortoises he has turned over, and of
course make an easy capture of them.

Guapo, upon this occasion, took advantage o