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"At length the gallop of a horse roused her from her reverie. She looked around. It was her husband! "The melancholy tale was soon told; and shortly after was carried to those that dwelt nearest them. The grief was general; and the sympathy that followed caused a general rising throughout the neighbourhood; and for several days afterwards a war of extermination was waged against the caimans.
"'Whirlwind' the filibuster first," said one of the passengers with an affrighted air. "Or 'Rend the Soul' the buccaneer of Marie-Galande," said another. "Or 'Youmäale, the Caribbean cannibal of the lake of the Caimans," continued a third. "What?" cried the chevalier, "does Blue Beard coquette at the same time with a filibusterer, a buccaneer, and a cannibal? Bah! what a woman!"
Formerly, caimans, or alligators, were common, but they have become rare, through the diligent hunting to which they have been subjected for supplying skins. Two days are usually taken in the journey to Frontera, though it is not a fifteen hours' run. Mr.
The caiman was not one of large size, else the turtle would have fled from it, not that even the largest caimans are feared by the full-grown carapas. No; the strong plate-armour of the latter protects them both from the teeth and tail of this antagonist. The jaguar, with his pliable paws and sharp subtle claws, is to them a more dreaded assailant than the crocodile or caiman.
Sometimes the natives of the Magdalena catch the caimans with lassos; and after dragging them upon the bank, despatch them with axes and spears. Notwithstanding this, the caimans swarm upon these rivers, and are seldom molested by the inhabitants, except at intervals when some horrid tragedy happens when some unfortunate victim has been snatched off by them, torn in pieces, and devoured.
"If that story be true, why did ye not tell it us instead of slaying many of my people, one of them by an arrow from your bow, and the rest by the jaws of the caimans?" demanded the cacique. "Nay, why ask a question of which you yourself know the answer?" retorted Phil. "For you were in one of the canoes, and saw and heard everything that passed.
The caïman was not one of large size, else the turtle would have fled from it, not that even the largest caïmans are feared by the full-grown carapas. No; the strong plate-armour of the latter protects them both from the teeth and tail of this antagonist. The jaguar, with his pliable paws and sharp subtle claws, is to them a more dreaded assailant than the crocodile or caïman.
All three laid aside their garments, which Martin Paz carried in a bundle upon his head; and all three glided silently into the water, for fear of awakening some of these dangerous caïmans so numerous in the rivers of Brazil and Peru.
Nothing could be more agreeable than such a recital to Lady Helena and Mary Grant; and accordingly Lord Glenarvan hastened to satisfy their curiosity going over incident by incident, the entire march from one ocean to another, the pass of the Andes, the earthquake, the disappearance of Robert, his capture by the condor, Thalcave's providential shot, the episode of the red wolves, the devotion of the young lad, Sergeant Manuel, the inundations, the caimans, the waterspout, the night on the Atlantic shore all these details, amusing or terrible, excited by turns laughter and horror in the listeners.
About ten of them were there, lashing the water with their powerful tails, and attacking the OMBU with the long teeth of their lower jaw. At this sight the unfortunate men gave themselves up to be lost. A frightful death was in store for them, since they must either be devoured by the fire or by the caimans. Even the Major said, in a calm voice: "This is the beginning of the end, now."
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