man more than he fears them."

"We are in a wood," said Jack, "and there is always beasts in the
woods."

"There are woods and woods, my good little man, as there are beasts and
beasts," replied Harris, laughing. "Imagine that you are in the middle
of a large park. Truly, it is not without reason that the Indians say
of this country, 'Es como el pariso!' It is like an earthly paradise!"

"Then there are serpents?" said Jack.

"No, my Jack," replied Mrs. Weldon, "there are no serpents, and you may
sleep tranquilly."

"And lions?" asked Jack.

"Not the ghost of a lion, my good little man," replied Harris.

"Tigers, then?"

"Ask your mama if she has ever heard tell of tigers on this continent."

"Never," replied Mrs. Weldon.

"Good!" said Cousin Benedict, who, by chance, was listening to the
conversation: "if there are neither lions nor tigers in the New World,
which is perfectly true, we at least encounter cougars and jaguars."

"Are they bad?" asked little Jack.

"Phew!" replied Harris; "a native has little fear of attacking those
animals, and we are strong. Stay! Hercules would be strong enough to
crush two jaguars at once, one in each hand!"

"You will watch well, Hercules," then said little Jack, "and if a beast
comes to bite us----"

"It is I who will bite it, Mr. Jack!" replied Hercules, showing his
mouth, armed with superb teeth.

"Yes, you will watch, Hercules," said the novice, "but your companions
and I will relieve you, turn about."

"No, Mr. Dick," replied Acteon, "Hercules, Bat, Austin, and I, we four
will be enough for this labor. You must rest the whole night."

"Thank you, Acteon," replied Dick Sand, "but I ought to----"

"No! let those brave men do it, my dear Dick!" then said Mrs. Weldon.

"I, also; I shall watch!" added little Jack, whose eyelids were already
closing.

"Yes, my Jack, yes, you will watch!" replied his mother, who did not
wish to contradict him.

"But," the little boy said again, "if there are no lions, if there are
no tigers in the forest, there are wolves!"

"Oh! wolves in jest!" replied the American. "They are not even wolves,
but kinds of foxes, or rather of those dogs of the woods which they
call 'guaras.'"

"And those _guaras_, they bite?" asked little Jack.

"Bah! Dingo would make only one mouthful of those beasts!"

"Never mind," replied Jack, with a last yawn; "guaras are wolves,
because they are called wolves!"

And with that Jack fell asleep p