with fawn,
the black pinions of the wings, and their neck surrounded with a ruff of
grey feathers, to be king-vultures. Those we had killed were
full-grown, and were about the size of an ordinary goose. As I saw them
perched on the branches, tearing away at huge masses of flesh, I must
say that, notwithstanding their regal titles, they had a very repulsive
appearance. Chumbo told me how, in despair of getting any supper, he
had rushed in and attacked the vulture with which I had found him
struggling. Happily, he had come off without any material injury.

On our way back to where I had left Gerald and Tim, I showed him the two
deer we had killed, and this reconciled him to remaining with the horses
and mules. Before leaving him, however, Tim and I built him a hut and
collected an ample supply of wood for a fire, so that he might pass the
night in security, provided he could manage to awake at intervals and
replenish his fire. We then cut up one of the deer; and leaving a
portion of the flesh for Chumbo, loaded ourselves with as much of the
rest as we could carry. Tim added one of the vultures to his cargo, as
a present to the doctor; and without further delay we set off for our
settlement, as we called the huts we had erected at the entrance of the
cave.

Tim received a hearty welcome; Candela clapped his hands as he saw the
venison; and the doctor was highly pleased to have the king-vulture to
examine. He remarked that it was unusual to find the bird in such high
regions, as it generally inhabits the low, thickly-wooded districts on
the banks of the rivers; but though birds and beasts of all sorts found
out our happy valley and made it their abode, it would be satisfactory
to believe that no anaconda or boa-constrictor had wriggled its way over
the mountains to get to it, or any vicious little peccaries. We had a
proof, however, that we must be on our guard against jaguars and pumas,
which have a wide range, and do not hesitate to climb mountains and ford
streams in search of their prey,--especially pumas, which are met with
throughout Central America, and far away in the western parts of the
northern continent.

The next morning the doctor accompanied us back to skin the jaguar I had
shot, and to bring home the remainder of the venison--with the exception
of a portion left for Chumbo, which he cut up into strips and dried in
the sun, so that it might keep good for some time.

In the course of a few days w