allow
her tears to flow. She did not scream or call for help. It could be of
no use now. It was too late. She knew there was no one near--no one
within miles of her. When she raised her eyes from the mangled corpse,
it was only to rest them upon the black water, and there, under the
shadow of the guava bushes, swam the hideous reptile, to and fro. He
had swallowed the morsel, and was eagerly watching for more.

"The countenance of the woman betrayed a mingled expression of agony and
vengeance. All at once a thought seemed to strike her--a sudden
resolve. She rose; and, casting a look first at the dead body, and then
upon the caiman, hurried off to the house. In a few minutes she came
back, bringing with her a long spear. It was the hunting-spear of her
husband--often used by him in his encounters with the Brazilian tiger,
and other fierce creatures of the forest. She brought also several
other articles--a lasso, some cords of the _pita_, and a couple of
knives.

"On arriving at the bank, she looked anxiously over. The caiman was
still there; and she turned, and stood for a moment as if considering
what to do. Her mind was soon made up; and, bending forward, she thrust
the spear lengthwise through what remained of her child's body! It was
a fearful act, but the feeling of revenge was strong within her. She
next caught the blade of the spear--now red with blood--and placing the
knives lengthwise--so that they might serve as barbs--tied them firmly
upon it with the _pita_ cord. Close up to these she pushed the mangled
body, and then looped the lasso tightly to the shaft of the spear. The
other end she made fast to the trunk of a guava tree--for she well knew
that her own strength would avail but little against such a monster as
the caiman.

"When all was ready she poised the shaft, and flung spear, body, and
all, into the water. Then taking the rope in her hand, she crouched
behind the bushes to await the result.

"She had not long to wait. The reptile, thirsting for more blood, saw
the tempting morsel; and, darting forward, seized it in his huge jaws,
crushing it in the act. The woman remained motionless, biding her time.

"The caimans do not masticate their food. Their teeth are not formed
for that. They are only made for seizing; and the tongue--which they
cannot extend forward--only serves to assist them in swallowing. In a
few moments the body had disappeared down the capacious throat of t