Afloat in the Forest; Or, A Voyage among the Tree-Tops

by Mayne Reid

  As there was something curious in all this, something that could notfail to fix the attention of the observer, our adventurers remainedsilent, watching the movements of the insect multitude, in hopes thatthey might find some way of detaching themselves from the floating log,and leave in peaceable and undisputed possession the quarters theyappeared so desirous of quitting to those who were equally desirous ofentering upon them.

  CHAPTER SIXTY THREE.

  THE TAMANDUA: THE ANT-THRUSH.

  Trusting to the explanation given by the tapuyo, they did not think ofinquiring further into the cause of the commotion among the ants. Whilescanning the tree closely, several of the party perceived a movementamong its branches, and soon after the form of a singular creature thatwas causing it. It was a quadruped, about the size of a raccoon or cat,but of a shape peculiarly its own. Its body was long and cylindrical,terminating posteriorly in a round, tapering tail, while its low, flathead, prolonged into a smooth, slender muzzle, also tapered nearly to apoint. The eyes were so small as scarcely to be seen, and the mouthmore resembled a round hole than the closing of a pair of jaws. It wascovered with a dense silky fur, of a uniform length over the body, andslightly crisped, so as to give it a woolly aspect. This fur wasstraw-coloured, with a tinge of maroon and brown on the shoulders andalong the back, while the tail presented a ringed appearance from analternation of the two colours.

  "_Tamandua_!" exclaimed Munday, at sight of the strange quadruped. "Theant-eater. Not the great one, which is called _Tamandua assu_, anddon't climb up the trees. That you see is the little one; he lives allhis life among the branches,--sleeps there, either upon his breast, orsuspended by his tail,--travels from one tree to another in search ofhoney, bees, wasps, grubs, but, above all, of such ants as make theirnests either in holes, or stick to the twigs. Ha!" he continued, "whatcould I have been thinking of? The tocandeiras wishing to climb up tothe tree? Not a bit of it. Quite the contrary. It's the tamanduathat's keeping them in motion! See the cunning beast preparing to makea descent among them!"

  Nothing could be more certain than that this was the tamandua'sintention; for almost on the instant it was seen to move among thebranches, descending from one to the other, partly using its strong,hooked claws, and partly its tapering and highly prehensile tail. Onceupon the dead-wood, it lay flat down upon its breast and belly; andshooting out its long, thread-like tongue, coated with a sticky shiningsubstance resembling saliva, it commenced licking up the tocandeirasthat swarmed in thousands around it. It was to no purpose that the antsmade an attack upon it. Nature had provided it with an armour proofboth against their bite and sting. Rage around it as they might, thetocandeiras could do nothing to hinder it from licking them up from thelog, and tucking them in hundreds into its capacious stomach. Finallythe tamandua had taken his fill,--breakfasted to his heart's content;then, erecting himself on his hind-legs after the manner of a squirrelor marmoset, he sprang back upon the branch from which he had descended.Going a little higher up, he selected another and larger branch,placing himself so that his belly rested along its upper surface, withthe legs hanging down on each side; and then, burying his proboscis inthe long fur of his breast, and taking two or three turns of his tailaround head, body, and legs, he fell fast asleep.

  The old saw, that there is "many a slip between the cup and the lip," isas true in the life of ant-eater as in that of a man; and when thetamandua awoke,--which it did some twenty minutes afterwards,--andlooked down upon the dead-wood, it was astonished to discover that not atocandeira was in sight.

  What had become of them? When left by the tamandua to their own devicesthere were myriads still surviving. The few thousands which thedevourer licked up had made no perceptible diminution in their numbers;and on the retiring of their enemy, they were swarming as thickly andcountlessly as ever. Now not one was visible upon the log, the hue ofwhich, from being of a flaming red, had returned to its original colourof sombre grey. A few were discovered upon the standing tree, crawlingup its trunk and lower branches, with excited air and rapid movements,as if escaping from terrible disaster. These refugees did not amount tomany hundreds; thinly scattered over the bark, they could have beencounted. They were too few to tempt the hunger of the tamandua. Itwould not have been worth his while to project his slimy tongue for thesake of a single tocandeira; so he retained it--not behind his teeth,for he had none--but within the cylinder-shaped cavity of his mouth.What had become of the tocandeiras? It is possible that the tamanduamentally put this question to himself; for there is no animal, howeverhumble its organisation, that has not been gifted by beneficent Naturewith a mind and powers of reasoning,--ay, with moral perceptions of atleast the primary principles of right and wrong, as even the littleant-eater gives evidence.

  Perhaps you have yourself witnessed the proof. You have seen one antrob another of its crumb of bread, that by a laborious effort has beencarried far. You have seen the companions of both gather around thespot, deprive the despoiler of its ill-gotten prize, restore the crumbto its lawful possessor, and punish the would-be pilferer. If you havenot seen this, others have,--myself among the number. Surely, it isreason; surely, it is moral perception. If not, what is it? Thecloset-naturalist calls it _instinct_,--a ready word to cloak thatsocial cowardice which shrinks from acknowledging that besides man thereare other beings upon the earth with talents worth saving.

  Soon after the ant-eater had gone to sleep, a little bird about the sizeof a starling was seen flitting about. It was of the ordinary shape ofthe shrikes, or fly-catchers, and, like them, of sombre plumage,--a dullgrey blended with bluish slate. As already said, it was flitting aboutamong the tree-tops, now and then rising above them, and hovering for awhile in the air; then lighting again upon a branch, and from thishopping to another, and another, all the time giving utterance totwittering but scarcely musical notes.

  "An ant-thrush," Munday said. "It's hunting about for the verycreatures that are swarming on that log. If it should spy them we'llhave no more trouble with the tocandeiras. That friend will clear themout of our way. If it but gets its eye on that red crowd, it'll treatthem very differently from what the beast has done. In twenty minutesthere won't be a tocandeira to sting us. May the Great Spirit provepropitious, and turn its eyes upon the dead-wood!"

  For a time the bird kept up its flickering flight and twittering cry,while our adventurers watched it manoeuvres, keeping quiet, as aprecaution against scaring it away. All at once the ant-thrush changedits tactics, and its louder note proclaimed a surprise. It had comeclose to the tree that contained the tamandua, and saw the quadrupedtaking its _siesta_ upon the branch. From the presence of the ant-eaterit argued the proximity of their common prey.

  The swarm of fire-ants, reddening the log, formed too conspicuous anobject to escape being seen. The ant-thrush soon saw them, andannounced the discovery with a screech, which was a signal to scores ofhungry companions. It was answered by what seemed a hundred echoes, andsoon the air resounded with whistling wings, as the feathered ant-eaterscame crowding to the feast.

  Boy reader, you have bred pigeons, and fed them too. You have flungbefore them whole baskets of barley, and pecks of oats, until thepavement was thickly strewed. You have observed how quickly they couldclear the ground of the grain. With the like rapidity was the logcleared of the tocandeiras. In ten minutes not a single insect could beseen upon it; and then the feathered ant-eaters, without giving thetamandua a hint that his premises had been despoiled, flew off into theforest in search of a fresh swarm.

  CHAPTER SIXTY FOUR.

  ANT-EATERS--BIPED AND QUADRUPED.

  The spectacle of the bird ant-eaters engaged in their work ofdestruction is one that may be seen almost every day in the Amazonianregion. The presence of an army of ants passing from place to placethrough the forest--themselves often bent upon a marauding and murderousexpedition--may often be discovered long belong the insects themselvesare in sight, by the twittering cries and excited action
s of theant-thrushes, that in large flocks are seen hovering above them. Thetraveller takes warning by the spectacle. Experience has long agotaught him that to stray into the midst of a party of foraging ants isno slight matter. It would be like dancing an Irish jig over a nest ofhornets. He is sure of being attacked, bitten, and stung by thevenomous insects; and on hearing the call of the ant-thrush, he beats aninstant retreat. The quadruped licking up his insect prey is a sight ofless frequent occurrence.

  Of these four-footed ant-eaters there are many distinct kinds, differingvery considerably in their habits of life. Four species are known tonaturalists; but it is probable that there are many more yet to bediscovered and described. The Indians who are best acquainted with theremote haunts of the great mountain wilderness of interior South Americaassert that there are others; and their testimony is generally derivedfrom acute observation. Of the four known species there is the greatant-eater (_Myrmecophaga jubata_) called Tamanoir, large as a mastiffdog, and a match for most dogs in strength, often even killing one bysqueezing the breath out of his body between its thick, muscularfore-limbs. This is the _Tamandua bandeira_, or "banner tamandua" ofthe natives, so called from the peculiar marking of its skin,--each sideof the body being marked by a broad blackish band running obliquely fromthe shoulders, and suggesting the resemblance of an heraldic banner. Itlives in the drier forests, making its haunt wherever the white ants(_termites_), those that construct the great hills, abound. Of thehabits of this species a more complete account has been given elsewhere.[See "The Forest Exiles," by the author of this story.]

  The second species of tamandua--that is, in size--is quite a differentcreature. It scarcely ever descends to the earth, but passes frombranch to branch and tree to tree by means of its strong, curving claws,and more especially by the aid of a very long and highly prehensiletail. Its food consists exclusively of ants, that construct huge earthynests high up among the branches or against the trunks of the trees,where they present the appearance of grotesque excrescences. Thistamandua often moves about during the day, in its slow progress muchresembling the sloths, though its food is so very different from theanimal of the Cecropia-tree (_bicho de embauba_). This species dwellschiefly in the thick forests, and goes into the Gapo at all seasons ofthe year, and it was one of this sort which the party had seen.

  But there are still two other kinds that make their home upon thetrees,--both exceedingly curious little animals, and much more rarelyseen than the large tamanduas. They are distinguished by the name of_tamandua-i_, which in the Indian language means "little tamandua." Oneof them, the rarest of the family, is about the size of a half-grownkitten. Instead of hair, it wears a fine wool of a greyish-yellowcolour, soft and silky to the touch. The other is of the same size, butdingy brown in colour, and with hair of a coarser kind. These littleant-eaters both sleep through the day, curled up in the cavity of atree, or in some fork of the branches, and only display their activityby night.

  Thus it is that the ants have no chance of escaping from their numerousenemies. On the earth they are attacked and destroyed by the greatant-eater, in the trees by his brother with the four curving claws. Byday one species preys upon them,--by night, another. Go where theywill, there is a foe to fall upon them. Even when they seek securityunder the earth, there too are they pursued by enemies of their owntribe, the savage _ecitons_, which enter their subterranean dwellings,and kill them upon their own hearths, to be dragged forth piecemeal anddevoured in the light of the sun!

  CHAPTER SIXTY FIVE.

  THE CHASE OF THE TAMANDUA.

  If the tamandua had been surprised by the disappearance of thetocandeiras, it was not less so to see approaching a creature more thanten times its own size. This creature was of a dark bronze colour,having a long, upright body, a pair of legs still longer, arms almost aslong as the legs, and a roundish head with long black hair growing outof its crown, and hanging down over its shoulders. If the ant-eater hadnever before seen a human being,--which was probable enough,--it saw onenow; for this creature was no other than old Munday, who had taken afancy to capture that tamandua. Perhaps the little quadruped may havemistaken him for an ape, but it must have also thought him the grandestit had ever set eyes upon. Swinging itself from branch to branch, usingboth claws and tail to effect its flight, it forsook the tree where ithad slept, and took to another farther into the forest. But Munday hadanticipated this movement, and passed among the branches and over thematted llianas with the agility of an ape,--now climbing up from limb tolimb, now letting himself down by some hanging sipo.

  He was soon joined in the pursuit by Richard Trevannion, who was anexpert climber, and, if unable to overtake the ant-eater in a directchase, could be of service in helping to drive it back to the tree ithad just left, and which stood at the end of a projecting tongue of theforest. It is possible that Munday might have been overmatched, withall his alertness; for the tamandua had reached the narrowest part ofthe peninsula before he could get there. Once across the _isthmus_,which consisted of a single tree, it would have had the wide forestbefore it, and would soon have hidden itself amid the matted tangle ofleaves and twigs. Richard, however, was too cunning to let theant-eater escape him. Dropping into the water, he swam towards theisthmus with all his strength, and reached the tree before the tamandua.

  By this time Munday had arrived from the opposite quarter, and wasalready climbing into the same tree. Seeing itself intercepted on bothsides, the tamandua began crawling up towards the topmost branches. ButMunday was too quick for it, and springing after, with the agility of acat, he caught hold of it by one of the hind-legs. Being an animalinsignificant in size, and apparently in strength, the spectatorsupposed he would speedily have dragged it down. In this however theywere mistaken, not taking account of the power in its fore-limbs andtail.

  Notwithstanding the tapuyo exerted all his strength, he could not detachit from the tree; and even when assisted by his companion, was only ableto get the fore-legs free. The tail, lapped several times around alimb, resisted all their efforts. But Munday cut the clinging tail withhis knife, leaving two or three of its rings around the branch. Then,twisting the stump around his wrist, he swung the animal back againstthe trunk with a force that deprived it at once of strength and life.

  CHAPTER SIXTY SIX.

  ROAST ANT-EATER.

  Instead of returning to the tree, the Indian and Richard swam directlyto the dead-wood, where they were quickly joined by the rest of theparty. Although the dead-wood was as hard as any other wood, and tosleep upon it would be like sleeping on a plank, still it would givethem the feeling of security; so, as if by general consent, thoughnothing was said, they stretched themselves along the trunk, and weresoon fast asleep.

  The old Indian, tough as the sipos of his native forests, seemed as ifhe could live out the remainder of his life without another wink ofsleep; and when the rest of his companions were buried in profoundrepose, he was engaged in an operation that required both energy and themost stoical patience. In a place where the bark was dry, he had pickedout a small circular cavity, beside which he had placed some witheredleaves and dead twigs collected from the tree that spread its branchesabove. Kneeling over this cavity, he thrust down into it a straightstick, that had been cut from some species of hard wood, and trimmedclear of knots or other inequalities, twirling it between the palms ofhis hands so as to produce a rapid motion, now one way, now the other.In about ten minutes a smoke appeared, and soon after sparks were seenamong the loose dust that had collected from the friction. Presentlythe sparks, becoming thicker, united into a flame; and then, droppingthe straight stick, he hastily covered the hole with the dry leaves andchips, and, blowing gently under them, was soon cheered by a blaze, overwhich a cook with even little skill might have prepared a tolerabledinner. This had been Munday's object; and as soon as he saw his firefairly under way, without dressing or trussing the game,--not eventaking the hide off,--he laid the tamandua across the fire, and left itto coo
k in its skin.

  It was not the first time by scores that Munday had make that repast,known among Spanish-Americans as _carne con cuero_. He now proceeded toprevent the spreading of the flames. The dead-wood around was dry astinder. Stripping off the cotton shirt that, through every vicissitude,still clung to his shoulders, he leant over the side of the floatinglog, and dipped it for several minutes under the water. When wellsoaked, he drew it up again, and taking it to the spot where the firewas crackling, he wrung the water out in a circle around the edge of hishearth. When the tamandua was done brown, he then awakened hiscompanions, who were astonished to see the fire, with the bronzed bodyof the Indian, nude to the waist, squatting in front of it,--to hear thecrackling of sticks, the loud sputtering of the roast, and the hissingof the water circle that surrounded the hearth. But the savour thatfilled the air was very agreeable. They accepted his invitation topartake of the repast, which was found greatly to resemble roast goosein taste; and in an inconceivably short time only the bones of theant-eater, and these clean picked, could be seen upon the ceiba.

  CHAPTER SIXTY SEVEN.

  THE JUAROUa.

  Postponing till the next day the task of making a canoe out of theirlog, the party soon betook themselves to rest again; but they had beenslumbering only about an hour when a low whimpering noise made by themonkey awoke Tipperary Tom, close to whose ear the animal had squatteddown. Its master raised himself up, and, leaning upon his elbow, lookedout over the Gapo. There was nothing but open water, whose smoothsurface was shining like burnished gold under the beams of the settingsun. He turned toward the trees. He saw nothing there,--not so much asa bird moving among the branches. Raising his head a little higher, andpeeping over the edge of the dead-wood, "It's thare is it, the somethin'that's scyarin' ye?" he said to his pet. "An' shure enough there is asomethin' yandher. There's a `purl' upon the wather, as if somecrayther was below makin' a disturbance among the weeds. I wondtherwhat it is!"