moment. The crocodile had turned itself, and was about
closing its jaws upon the body of the chiguire, when the jaguar seeing
this, uttered a loud scream, and making one bound forward, seized the
dead animal almost at the same instant.

They were now face to face,--the great lizard and the great cat; and
their common prey was between them. Each had a firm hold with his
powerful jaws, and each appeared determined to keep what he had got. The
yellow eyes of the jaguar seemed to flash fire, and the black sunken
orbs of the saurian glared with a lurid and deadly light. It was a
terrible picture to look upon.

For some seconds both remained apparently gazing into each other's eyes,
and firmly holding the prey between them. The tail of the jaguar
vibrated in sudden angry jerks, while that of the crocodile lay bent
into a semicircle, as if ready to be sprung at a moment's notice.

This inaction did not last long. The fury of the jaguar was evidently on
the increase. He was indignant that he, the king of the American forest,
should thus meet with opposition to his will; and, indeed, the crocodile
was about the only creature in all the wide Montana that dare oppose him
in open fight. But he was determined to conquer even this enemy, and for
that purpose he prepared himself.

Still holding on to the capivara, and watching his opportunity, he
sprang suddenly forward, throwing one of his great paws far in advance.
His object was to _claw the eye_ of his adversary; for he well knew that
the latter was vulnerable neither upon its long snout, nor its gaunt
jaws, nor even upon the tough scaly skin of its throat. Its eyes alone
could be injured, and these were the objects of the jaguar's attack.

The thrust was a failure. The crocodile had anticipated such a manoeuvre,
and suddenly raising himself on his fore-legs, threw up one of his great
scaly hands and warded off the blow. The jaguar fearing to be clutched
between the strong fore-arms of the saurian, drew back to his former
position.

This manoeuvre, and its counter-manoeuvre, were repeated several times,
and although each time the struggle lasted a little longer than before,
and there was a good deal of lashing of tails and tearing of teeth, and
scratching of claws, still neither of the combatants seemed to gain any
great advantage. Both were now at the height of their fury, and a third
enemy approaching the spot would not have been heeded by either.

From the first the head