Leonor and Marcelo were enjoying nature semi-naked, he was swimming all over the lagoon, and she was near the shore because she didn't know how to swim.

Their laughter and splashing were blending into the virgin jungle.

They were having a pleasant time. Occasionally, they could hear the wings of a pheasant flopping in the bushes nearby. Surely it had been startled by the presence of the young couple. The breeze was blowing softly but continually from the east.

Everything was in harmony with nature, when suddenly Marcelo felt something strange. He wasn't sure what, but it made him restless. Leonor signaled to him. There was absolute silence, except for the quiet sound of the soft breeze in the trees, then he understood. The animals had become quiet at the presence of something.

He remembered what Jacinto had once told him. With all his senses alert he listened, trying to hear something.

He motioned to Leonor to come close to him, as she was already hurrying toward him. Quietly she told her young husband.

"Let's get out of here, Marcelo, something is coming. Have you noticed that there isn't any noise in the forest."

Silently, they got out of the water. Leonor put on her "huipil" and tied back her long hair with a ribbon. Marcelo looked around the shore of the broad lagoon trying to see some animal, suddenly three mecates away toward the east; he distinguished the form of a jaguar that was cautiously coming to the shore to quench his thirst. Just then, the neighing of the mule whose restlessness accented the sense of smell of that beautiful feline, made the cat lift its head.

For an instant, it stood motionless, and then moved back to the shore, it advanced cautiously avoiding the water, mixing in with the high grass.

Marcelo guessed its intentions, surely it was circling around to attack the mule. It didn't seem to have noticed them, because these animals usually ran away from the presence of humans.

Leonor was terrified she grabbed her husband's arm and said:

"You saw it, didn't you. I am scared".

Marcelo motioned for her to be still. Alert, he watched the place where the jaguar would certainly appear. He was right. Suddenly it appeared less than a mecate away. The mule jumped instinctively. The jaguar stopped for an instant, as it perceived Marcelo.

He raised his shotgun, aiming carefully at the cat’s side behind its fore leg. At the shot, the animal gave a tremendous jump and fell thrashing and convulsing painfully.

Marcelo reloaded, but he didn't have time to shot again. The wild animal got up and lost itself in the tall grass. A few minutes of expectation and Marcelo said to his wife.

"Let's go, the animal is wounded. We'd better get back to the village".

Leonor tried to calm down. She hurried to pick up their things, and few seconds later they were riding away. The shock was over. Leonor held on to his husband's waist and rested her forehead on his back.

The return to the village was fast, because of the tension caused by the accidental encounter with the jaguar.

The first moment was the most agitated Leonor didn't loosen her hold on her husband's waist and leaned against him so she wouldn't fall off the mule as they galloped along the narrow path. Marcelo was thinking about the beautiful wounded animal, which was certainly going to die soon.

"I have never imagined that someday I would kill a tiger and much less under these circumstances. Don't you think it will die? - Said Marcelo.

"We should go back to track him down; today or tomorrow at the very latest, if we don't it would be a pity. Its hide will decompose in two or three days. Won't it?’’

"When we get to the village, we will tell my father and my brother, they will come right away with dogs to track it. They will find it. It would be a pity not to. The skin can be traded in X-hodsuc for ammunition and powder, which are so necessary'' -Commented Leonor.

"You are right, we'll do it today".

When they arrived home, Don Silvano listened to their story.

"It is better to let a day go by. Tomorrow at dawn, we'll be at the water hole. It isn't far. That way, it will be enough time for the animal to get numb, if it is still alive. It is better to take it dead or cold. It is very dangerous to try it when it is wounded".

The next day, Marcelo; Don Silvano, Jacinto and Jose Chuc and their dogs arrived at the water hole. Jacinto went ahead with Marcelo to the place where the animal had been shot. The dogs, tied in packs, were restless because of the odor of the wild animal. Jacinto bent down and easily distinguished the traces of blood, and the yellow hairs of the beast, which had pulled out when it was thrashing on the ground. He moved a few more steps and the stopped. He turned to Don Silvano and said.

"Here is the track, it goes that way" he said pointing to the North. "Let the dogs go, Papa".

Immediately, all of the dogs were set free and followed the smell. The men went behind them with their guns ready to fire. They knew it wouldn't be long before they found the animal.

The dogs went in to the grass after the traces. Some minutes went by, everybody's eyes and ears were alert. Then, they heard the distinct bark of "Box-ni" the leader of the pack.

Then the barking spread and went farther away. The men had to run so that they did not lose sight of the dogs. For a few moments, puffing from the effort and the excitement, Marcelo thought they would lose they prey. Jacinto made sign for them to separate a little to cover more territory. The barking became stronger, madder, undoubtedly, the pack had cornered the prey.

The mad barks, the painful howls and growls of the wounded animal mixed together and were clearly audible. Jacinto stopped in front of the view. The wounded tiger from behind a big chicle tree truck tried to defend himself from the attack.

One of the dogs was on the ground, motionless with the neck torn open from the claws of the cat. Other dogs, though bleeding, were attacking fiercely.

"Marcelo, you have the right to kill it before it hurts itself more or kills another dog" said Jacinto.

Marcelo raised his shotgun, but didn't fire. Jacinto raised his, understanding what Marcelo was feeling, pointed carefully at the animal's head and pulled the trigger. The animal fell down dead. The dogs ceased their attack some bleeding and breathing hard from the effort.

Don Silvano told Jacinto. " You and Jose will take it, cut a stick to carry it by its feet".

Turning to Marcelo, he continued- "It is a beautiful animal; it was a pity to let it suffer. It is your first tiger, isn't it?"

"And I think it will be the last... if Leonor hadn't been in danger, I think I would not have shot it. It is a pity".

Don Silvano and Jacinto looked at him puzzled.

Main Page                           Chapter 22  ''Tuluum''

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