“Never,” replied Mrs. Weldon.

“Good!” said Cousin Benedict, who, by chance, was listening to the conversation:  “if there are neither lions nor tigers in the New World, which is perfectly true, we at least encounter cougars and jaguars.”

“Are they bad?” asked little Jack.

“Phew!” replied Harris; “a native has little fear of attacking those animals, and we are strong.  Stay!  Hercules would be strong enough to crush two jaguars at once, one in each hand!”

“You will watch well, Hercules,” then said little Jack, “and if a beast comes to bite us——­”

“It is I who will bite it, Mr. Jack!” replied Hercules, showing his mouth, armed with superb teeth.

“Yes, you will watch, Hercules,” said the novice, “but your companions and I will relieve you, turn about.”

“No, Mr. Dick,” replied Acteon, “Hercules, Bat, Austin, and I, we four will be enough for this labor.  You must rest the whole night.”

“Thank you, Acteon,” replied Dick Sand, “but I ought to——­”

“No! let those brave men do it, my dear Dick!” then said Mrs. Weldon.

“I, also; I shall watch!” added little Jack, whose eyelids were already closing.

“Yes, my Jack, yes, you will watch!” replied his mother, who did not wish to contradict him.

“But,” the little boy said again, “if there are no lions, if there are no tigers in the forest, there are wolves!”

“Oh! wolves in jest!” replied the American.  “They are not even wolves, but kinds of foxes, or rather of those dogs of the woods which they call ‘guaras.’”

“And those guaras, they bite?” asked little Jack.

“Bah!  Dingo would make only one mouthful of those beasts!”

“Never mind,” replied Jack, with a last yawn; “guaras are wolves, because they are called wolves!”

And with that Jack fell asleep peaceably in Nan’s arms, beside the trunk of the mango.  Mrs. Weldon, lying near her, gave a last kiss to her little boy, and her tired eyes quickly closed for the night.

A few moments later Hercules brought back to the camp Cousin Benedict, who had just gone off to commence a chase for pyrophores.  They are “cocuyos,” or luminous flies, which the stylish put in their hair, like so many living gems.  These insects which throw a bright and bluish light from two spots situated at the base of their corselet, are very numerous in South America.  Cousin Benedict then counted on making a large collection, but Hercules did not leave him time, and, in spite of his recriminations, the negro brought him to the halting-place.  That was because, when Hercules had orders, he executed them with military preciseness, which, no doubt, prevented the incarceration of a notable quantity of luminous flies in the entomologist’s tin box.

A few moments after, with the exception of the giant, who was watching, all were reposing in a profound sleep.

CHAPTER XVII.