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The noise and movement had its effect on the nocturnal visitors; for before Leon could explain himself, those immediately around the fires and for some distance beyond rushed to the edge, and were heard plunging by hundreds into the water. Guapo's ear caught the sounds, and his eye now ranging along the sandy shore, took in at a glance the whole thing. "Carapas," he said laconically.
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.
The noise and movement had its effect on the nocturnal visitors; for before Leon could explain himself, those immediately around the fires and for some distance beyond rushed to the edge, and were heard plunging by hundreds into the water. Guapo's ear caught the sounds, and his eye now ranging along the sandy shore, took in at a glance the whole thing. "Carapas," he said laconically.
"Carapas?" inquired Leon. "Oh!" said Don Pablo, who understood him. "Turtles is it?" "Yes, master," replied Guapo. "This is, I suppose, one of their great hatching-places. They are going to lay their eggs somewhere in the sand above. They do so every year."
All that they saw had been done that same night; and it gave them no very pleasant feeling to know that the jaguar had been at work so near them. This animal, as Guapo said, in attacking the turtles, first turns them over, so as to prevent their escape for the "carapas" are of those tortoises that once upon their backs on level ground cannot right themselves again.
All that they saw had been done that same night; and it gave them no very pleasant feeling to know that the jaguar had been at work so near them. This animal, as Guapo said, in attacking the turtles, first turns them over, so as to prevent their escape for the "carapas" are of those tortoises that once upon their backs on level ground cannot right themselves again.
"Carapas?" inquired Leon. "Oh!" said Don Pablo, who understood him. "Turtles is it?" "Yes, master," replied Guapo. "This is, I suppose, one of their great hatching-places. They are going to lay their eggs somewhere in the sand above. They do so every year."
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.
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