 the same moment, but he had not stopped the second
jaguar. Jose, instead of waiting, hastily discharged his gun, and in
another instant a dark body bounded over their heads on to the back of
one of the mules, which it struck to the ground.

Harry and Bertie leapt to their feet, and discharged their second
barrels into the jaguar's body. It turned suddenly round and attempted
to spring, but its hindquarters were paralysed; and Bertie, pulling out
his pistol, fired both barrels into its head. The brute at once fell
over dead, and the lad gave a shout of triumph.

"Thank goodness that is over without accident!" Harry said. "They are
formidable beasts, Dias."

"In the daytime, when one can see to aim, they can be killed easily
enough, senor; at night their presence is to be dreaded."

"I am afraid we have lost a mule."

"I think not, senor. He was knocked down by the shock, but he had his
saddle on, and the brute had no time to carry him off."

The mule rose to its feet as they spoke; Jose ran and brought a flaming
brand from the fire. Blood was streaming from both the animal's
shoulders.

"It stuck its claws in, senor, but has not made long gashes. I should
say that these wounds were caused by the contraction of the claws when
you finished her with your pistol. The animal will be all right in a
day or two; and as our stores have diminished, we need not put any load
on it for a time."

"I hope you were not frightened, Maria?" Bertie said

"I was a little frightened," she said, "when the mule came tumbling
down close to me, and I could see the jaguar's eyes within a few yards
of me, but I had my dagger ready."

"It would not have been much good," Dias said, "if the beast had
attacked you."

"I think you showed no end of pluck," Bertie said. "If he had come
close to me, and I had got nothing but that little dagger in my hand, I
should have bolted like a shot."

"I am sure that you
the same moment, but he had not stopped the second 
 jaguar. Jose, instead of expect, hurriedly discharged his gun, and in 
 another blink of an eye a benighted body bounded over their headway on to the back of 
 one of the mules, which it assume to the ground. 

 Harry and Bertie leapt to their feet, and free their second 
 barrels into the jaguar's body. It turned suddenly round and attempted 
 to spring, but its buttocks were paralysed; and Bertie, pulling out 
 his pistol, fired both barrel into its head. The brute at once fell 
 over dead, and the chap gave a shout of triumph. 

 " Thank goodness that is over without accident! " Harry allege. " They are 
 formidable beasts, Dias. " 

 " In the daytime, when one can see to aim, they can be killed well 
 adequate, senor; at nox their presence is to be dreaded. " 

 " I am afraid we have lost a mule. " 

 " I think not, senor. He was knocked down by the shock, but he had his 
 saddleback on, and the beast had no time to post him off. " 

 The mule resurrect to its feet as they spoke; Jose ran and brought a flaming 
 brand from the fire. Blood was stream from both the animal's 
 shoulders. 

 " It stuck its claws in, senor, but has not made farseeing gashes. I should 
 say that these wounds were caused by the compression of the claws when 
 you finish her with your pistol. The animal will be wholly correct in a 
 day or two; and as our stores have diminished, we need not put any load 
 on it for a time. " 

 " I hope you were not frightened, Maria? " Bertie say 

 " I was a little frightened, " she said, " when the mule came whirl 
 down close to me, and I could see the jaguar's eyes within a few yards 
 of me, but I had my dagger quick. " 

 " It would not have been much good, " Dias said, " if the beast had 
 attack you. " 

 " I think you showed no conclusion of pluck, " Bertie say. " If he had come 
 close to me, and I had got nothing but that little dagger in my hand, I 
 should have bolted like a shot. " 

 " I am sure that you
 thf same moment, but he had not stopped thg wecond
oaguar. Nose, insgead of waiting, hastily disciargwd hiw gun, and in
another inrtant a dwrk body bouided over their isads on to ths bacn of
one of the kules, whicv it struck to tfe ground.

Harry and Bertie leapt to thqir feey, wnd discharged thepr secknd
barrels into the jaguar's body. If turnev suddenly rounc and attempted
to spring, bkt ihs hindquarters wege paralysee; anq Bertie, pullkng out
his pistol, fires both barrels into its head. Thd bruce at once deol
oggr dead, and vhe laq gave a shomn of trhumph.

"Thsnk goodness tmat iv ocer without accident!" Iarry said. "They are
fjrmidable bzasts, Dias."

"In the daytumw, whet ona cav sed tk eim, they fan be killed easily
enouth, senor; at night tneyg presence is to be dweaded."

"I am afraid we have lost a mule."

"I uhink not, senor. He was knockwd down by the shock, hut he haq his
saddle on, and the brute had no time to carry him kwf."

Tkc oylf rose to its feet as they spoke; Jose ran and grpunht a flaming
brakd from the fire. Bkold ras streaming from yktg the animal's
shoulfers.

"It ftuck its clawf in, senor, but has not made lont gashes. I skouod
say that these wlunds were eaused by tne contraction of the cuaws when
you fijished hed with your pistou. Tme dnimal will be all right ig a
day or two; and as our storef have dimlnishcg, we need not put wny llag
on it for a time."

"I hope you were not frigivened, Maria?" Bgrthe vaid

"I waf a llttle frighteneq," she said, "wheu the muje caoe tumblinf
down cnose to me, wnd I could sag the jaguar's eyes wiehin a fww yardr
uf me, but I hac my daggvr reaey."

"It would not havc beev much good," Dias saud, "if the beast haa
ateabkev you."

"Y think you svowea nu end uf pluck," Bevtid saod. "If he had come
clove tk me, and I had got njthing bot that lyttle dagger on my hand, I
should have bouted kikg a shot."

"I am sure that you
the same moment, but he had not second Jose, instead waiting, hastily discharged instant dark body bounded their heads on the back of one of the which it struck to the ground. Harry and Bertie leapt to their feet, discharged their second barrels into the jaguar's body. It turned suddenly round and to but hindquarters paralysed; and Bertie, pulling out his pistol, fired both barrels into its head. The brute at fell over dead, and the lad gave a of triumph. "Thank goodness is over without accident!" Harry "They formidable beasts, "In daytime, one can see aim, they can be killed easily enough, senor; at night their presence is to be dreaded." "I afraid we a mule." think senor. was knocked down shock, but he had his saddle brute had no time to carry him off." mule rose its feet as they spoke; Jose and brought a flaming brand from the fire. was streaming from both the animal's shoulders. "It stuck its claws in, senor, but has long gashes. I should that these wounds caused the of claws when finished her with your pistol. The animal will be all right a day or two; and as our stores have diminished, not any load on for a time." "I you not frightened, Maria?" Bertie was little "when mule tumbling down close to and I could see the eyes within a few had my dagger ready." "It would not have much good," Dias said, "if the beast attacked you." "I think you showed no end of pluck," Bertie said. he had to me, and I had got nothing but little dagger in my I should have bolted like a shot." "I am that
 the same moment, but he had not sTopped the sEcond
JagUar. joSe, inSteaD of waiting, hastILy diScharged his gun, and in
anoTher iNsTAnt a DArK body Bounded OVeR THeiR hEaDs oN tO ThE back Of
oNe of the Mules, which It sTrUck to the grouND.

HArry and BerTie Leapt to their FeeT, and diScHarGEd theIr sEcond
BarrelS Into thE jaguar's bOdY. it turnED suddenLY RoUnd aNd attempted
to spriNG, bUT its hindquarteRs were PaRAlYSEd; aNd BErtie, pulliNg Out
hiS Pistol, fIReD BOTh bARrels into its hEad. The brute AT onCe fell
OvEr dEAd, and tHe lad GaVE a sHout of triumPh.

"ThAnk goodneSs that IS over wiTHout accIdent!" HArrY saId. "ThEY aRe
ForMiDAblE BeAstS, diaS."

"In the daYtImE, when One cAN SEE to aIm, tHey cAn be kIlled easily
enOugH, senOR; at Night Their PresEnCe is tO be dreAded."

"I Am Afraid we have losT a muLe."

"I think nOt, sEnOr. HE wAs knoCKed dowN by The Shock, buT he had hIS
saDdLE ON, aNd the brute had no timE tO CArRy him off."

the mulE RoSe TO its feet As TheY spoKE; jose rAn anD BrOught a flAming
bRAnD fRom the fIrE. Blood WaS stReaMing fROm boTh the aNimal's
shOuldeRS.

"It stuck its claWS in, senor, but haS NoT MAdE Long GasHes. I should
sAy thAT theSe woUNdS weRE causEd by tHe COnTRaction of the claws whEn
You finIshed Her with your piStol. The aniMAL Will be alL rigHT iN A
day or two; and as Our stOres have diMInished, wE need Not put anY load
on it FOR a time."

"I hOpe You WerE noT FRiGhtened, Maria?" BERTie sAiD

"I was a lIttLe frighTenEd," sHe sAid, "WhEn the mule Came tumbLiNg
DoWn CloSe to mE, And I coulD sEe tHe JagUar's eYEs withIn a feW yarDs
Of ME, buT I had my DAgGER reaDy."

"it WoulD noT hAve beEn muCH goOd," Dias sAid, "if the bEasT Had
aTtAcKed you."

"I Think you showeD nO end of plucK," BErtIe said. "iF He had comE
close to me, and I had got notHIng but tHat LittlE dagGer in my haNd, I
Should HavE Bolted Like a sHot."

"I aM sUre THAt you
 the same moment, but he h ad not sto ppedthe  se co nd
j agua r. Jose, inste a d of  waiting, hastily disc harge dh is g u n,  andin
anot h er i nst an ta d ar k  b ody b oun ded ove r their he ads  o n to the bac k  o f
one of t hemules, which  it  struc ktot he gr oun d.

H arry a n d Bert ie leaptto theirf eet, an d di scha rged their second ba r rels into thejaguar 's bo d y . I t t urned sudd en ly ro u nd anda tt e m p ted to spring, bu t its hindq u art ers we re  pa r alysed ; and  B e rti e, pullingouthis pisto l, fir e d bothb arrelsinto i tshea d. T h ebr ute  a t  on c efel l 
ov er dead,  a nd  theladg a v e  a s hou t of  triu mph.

"Thankgoo dnes s  th at is  over  wit ho ut ac cident !" Ha rr y said. "They a re
f ormidable  be as ts,  D ias." 
"In t heday time, w hen one can  s e e to  aim, they can beki l l ed  easilyenough ,  s en o r; at ni gh t t heir p resen ce i s  t o be dre aded." 
" Iam afra id  we ha ve  lo sta mul e ."
"I thi nk not,senor .  He was knocke d  down by thes ho c k ,b ut h e h ad his
sadd le o n , an d th e  b rut e  hadno ti me to carry him off."

Th emule r ose t o its feet as  they spok e ; Jose ran  and br o ught a flaming 
bran d from the fire. Bl ood w as strea ming from b oth theani mal 'ssho u l de rs.

"It stuc k itscl aws in,  se nor, bu t h asnot  ma de  long gas hes. I s ho ul dsa y t hat t h ese woun ds  we re  ca usedb y thecontr acti on  o f  th e claws wh e n 
you  f in ishe d h er  with  you r  pi stol. T he animal  wi l l be  a ll  rightin a
day or t wo ; and as o ur  st ores h a v e dimini shed, we need not put a n y loadonit fo r atime."

" I h ope yo u w e re not  frigh tened ,Mar i a ?" Be r t ie  sa id 

"I was a l itt le fr ig hten ed," sh e said, "when them ule  came tumblin g
d ownc l os e t o  m e , a nd I c o u ld see the jagu ar's eyeswi t hi n a few ya r dsof  me, bu t I had  my d a gger re ady."

"I t would n ot  hav e bee n much goo d," Dias  said, "i f  theb ea st ha d
a ttacke dyou ."

" I thin k  yo u sho wed no  e nd ofpluck ,"  Bertiesaid. "If he had come
c lose t o me,  an d I had g otn oth ing but t hatlittle dag ger  in  my h and ,  I
sh ould ha veb olted  lik e  a shot." 
" I a m su re that you 
 the_same moment,_but he had not_stopped the_second
jaguar._Jose, instead_of_waiting, hastily discharged_his gun, and_in
another instant a dark_body bounded over_their_heads on to the back of
one of the mules, which it struck to the_ground.

Harry_and Bertie_leapt_to_their feet, and discharged their_second
barrels into the jaguar's body._It turned_suddenly round and attempted
to spring, but its hindquarters_were_paralysed; and Bertie,_pulling out
his pistol, fired both barrels into its head._The brute at once fell
over dead,_and the lad_gave_a_shout of triumph.

"Thank goodness_that is over without accident!" Harry_said. "They are
formidable beasts, Dias."

"In the_daytime, when one can see to aim,_they can be killed easily
enough, senor;_at night their presence is_to be_dreaded."

"I am afraid we have_lost a mule."

"I_think not,_senor. He was_knocked down by the shock, but_he had his
saddle_on, and the brute had no_time_to carry him_off."

The_mule_rose to_its feet as_they_spoke; Jose_ran_and brought a flaming
brand from the_fire._Blood was streaming from both the animal's
shoulders.

"It_stuck its claws in,_senor,_but has not made_long gashes. I should
say that_these wounds were caused by the_contraction of_the claws_when
you finished her with your pistol. The animal will be all_right in a
day or two; and_as our stores have_diminished, we_need_not put any_load
on_it for_a time."

"I hope you were not frightened,_Maria?" Bertie_said

"I was a little frightened," she_said, "when the mule_came_tumbling
down close to me, and I_could see the jaguar's eyes within_a few yards
of me, but_I_had_my dagger ready."

"It would not_have been much good," Dias said,_"if the beast_had
attacked you."

"I think you showed no end_of_pluck," Bertie said. "If he had_come
close_to me, and I had got_nothing_but_that little dagger in my_hand, I
should have bolted like a_shot."

"I am sure that you