roar; he felt something heavy strike his feet, and, instantly jumping up, he saw to his astonishment, a large puma actually standing on his poncho; and, perhaps, the animal was equally astonished to find himself in the immediate presence of so athletic a man.  The man told me he was unwilling to fire, as his gun was loaded with very small shot; and he therefore remained motionless, the puma standing on his poncho for many seconds; at last the creature turned his head, and walking very slowly away about ten yards, stopped, and turned again:  the man still maintained his ground, upon which the puma tacitly acknowledged his supremacy, and walked off.”

“I dare say the man was very glad to be so easily quit of such a formidable visitor, Uncle Thomas.”

[Illustration:  The surprise—­Page 140.]

“No doubt of it, Frank.  I have one other story to tell you about the puma, which fortunately exhibits it in a more favourable light than some of those which I have told you.

“During the government of Don Diego de Mendoza, in Paraguay, a dreadful famine raged at Buenos Ayres; yet Diego, afraid to give the Indians a habit of spilling Spanish blood, forbade the inhabitants, on pain of death, to go into the fields, in search of relief, placing soldiers at all the outlets to the country, with orders to fire upon those who should attempt to transgress his orders.  A woman, however, called Maldonata, was artful enough to elude the vigilance of the guards, and to effect her escape.  After wandering about the country for a long time, she sought shelter in a cavern; but she had scarcely entered it, when she became dreadfully alarmed, on observing a puma occupying the same den.  She was, however, soon quieted by the animal approaching and caressing her.  The poor brute was very ill, and scarcely able to crawl towards her.  Maldonata soon discovered what was the cause of the animal’s illness, and kindly ministered to it.  It soon recovered, and was all gratitude and attention to its kind benefactress, never returning from searching after its daily subsistence without laying a portion of it at the feet of Maldonata.

“Some time after, Maldonata fell into the hands of the Spaniards; and, being brought back to Buenos Ayres, was conducted before Don Francis Ruez de Galen, who then commanded there.  She was charged with having left the city contrary to orders.  Galen was a man of a cruel and tyrannical disposition, and condemned the unfortunate woman to a death which none but the most cruel tyrant could have devised.  He ordered some soldiers to take her into the country, and leave her tied to a tree, either to perish with hunger, or to be torn to pieces by wild beasts.  Two days after, he sent the same soldiers to see what had been her fate, when, to their great surprise, they found her alive and unhurt, though surrounded by pumas and jaguars, while a female puma at her feet kept them at bay.  As soon as the puma saw the