ently just in front.

"What shall we do?" I thought.

For a moment I felt disposed to try and get round some other way, but
the slightest movement now was sufficient to bring forth a growl from
our invisible enemy; and it was very plain that we had tracked the
jaguar to his lair while the boa had escaped.

To have retreated would have been to bring it down upon us; so after a
glance at Tom's resolute face I made a sign and we took a step in
advance.

Only one; we had time for no more, for with a savage yell the jaguar
bounded right at Tom from the opening; we just obtained a glimpse of it,
and it was like firing at a streak of something brown passing rapidly
through the air, but fire I did, both barrels almost simultaneously; and
the next moment Tom was knocked down and the jaguar had disappeared
amongst the reeds we had but just passed.

"Are you hurt, Tom?" I cried anxiously, as I stooped to secure his
undischarged gun.

"Hurt!" he exclaimed angrily; "of course I am! Just as if you could
have one of them great cats fly at you and knock you over without being
hurt! But I ain't killed, Mas'r Harry," he said, rising and shaking
himself. "`Them as is born to be hanged won't never be drowned,' and
them as is born to be swallowed by crocks won't never be torn to pieces
by wild cats. Look out, Mas'r Harry! Give it him again!"

At that moment, snarling and lashing its tail from side to side as it
showed us its white teeth, the jaguar now crept back, cat-like, on its
belly, as if about to spring, when, with the best aim I could, I gave it
both barrels of Tom's gun, and with a convulsive bound the brute rolled
over, dead.

"That's hotter than the country, Mas'r Harry!" said Tom. "But we killed
him, anyhow; so load up. But, my! Mas'r Harry, what a beauty! And did
you see when he showed his teeth?--he was the very image of the Don!"

I did not reply to Tom's remarks; but as I reloaded I could not help
admiring the glossy, spotted coat of the great beast I had just slain--a
brute whose activity and power must have been immense.

But we had not performed the task we had come to complete. This was
something upon which I had not counted; and now, though quite satisfied
in my own mind that the serpent had escaped, we left our conquered
assailant and once more began cautiously to pursue the track with guns
pointed in advance, but without the expectation of a fresh assault,
when, as if determined to be first this