My
feelings at that moment were anything but pleasant; I felt my heart
beating high; the smallest nervous movement, which perhaps I could not
control, would divert the attention of the animal, whose claws would
then immediately enter my flesh.
I advanced my right hand towards the holster, under my head, to take one
of my pistols, but the holsters were buttoned up, and I could not undo
them, as this would require a slight motion of my body. At last I felt
the weight sliding down my ribs till it left me; and I perceived, that
in order to take a better leap at the meat, the puma had moved on a
little to the left, but in so doing one of his fore paws rested upon the
chest of the _padre_. I then obtained one of the pistols, and was just
in the act of cocking it under my blanket, when I heard a mingled shriek
and roar. Then succeeded a terrible scuffling. A blanket was for a
second rolled over me; the canvas of the tent was burst open a foot
above me; I heard a heavy fall down the chasm; the _padre_ screamed
again; by accident I pulled the trigger and discharged my pistol; and
the Indians, not knowing what was the matter, gave a tremendous
war-whoop.
The scene I have described in so many lines was performed in a few
seconds. It was some time before we could recover our senses and inquire
into the matter.
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