“Some hours after we had entered the forest, the quick eye of Guapo discovered the trail of a large jaguar which he assured me was recently made.

“Stopping for a moment, both Guapo and Nino looked carefully about in every direction, and listened attentively, in order that they might see or hear the animal if he were near.

“Then motioning me to follow at a little distance behind them, they stepped off quietly in the direction of the trail, Guapo being about thirty feet in advance of Nino.

“We went forward in this manner several hundred yards, not a word being spoken, and the keen eyes of both the hunters constantly on the alert.

“Guapo, in the meantime, who seemed to have no fear and became more and more excited as he approached to where he thought the animal must be, had increased the distance between himself and Nino considerably.

[Illustration]

“Suddenly a terrific roar, and at the same time a cry of pain and a shout, warned us that Guapo had met the jaguar.

“Nino bounded forward, and I followed as quickly as I could.  A fearful sight met our eyes!

“The jaguar, which had been hiding in the branches of a large tree, had sprung down upon Guapo and fastened its terrible teeth in his thigh.

“With a shout filled with fury and determination, Nino at once sprung forward and savagely attacked the beast with his spear.

“This caused the jaguar to let go its hold of Guapo, who, made furious from the pain of the wound the animal had given him, turned, and with his spear attacked it with a mad ferocity as savage as that of the beast itself.

“In a moment all was over, and the jaguar lay dead at our feet.  I dressed Guapo’s wound the best I could, while Nino took the skin from the body of the animal, which proved to be nearly eight feet long.

“We returned very slowly to the village with the wounded man and our prize.  In a few weeks Guapo had entirely recovered from his wounds, and was ready for another hunt.”

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Directions for Reading.—­Let pupils pronounce in concert, and singly, the following words:  O, most, ferocious, only, whole, hold, slowly, over, both, roar.

What tone of voice should be used in reading this lesson?

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Language Lesson.—­Place re before each of the following words, and then give the meaning of each.

    turned told join capture call

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LESSON XXXVIII.

dikes, high banks of earth.

con’tra ry, quite different from what is usual.

dis as’trous, causing great loss or suffering.

keels, strong timbers extending along the bottom of boats.

stork, a kind of bird.