It appeared, that at the very moment the puma was
crouching to take his leap, the _padre_ awaking, gave the scream; this
terrified the animal, who dashed through the canvas of the tent above me
with the _padre's_ blanket entangled in his claws.
Poor _padre_! he had fainted, and continued senseless till daylight,
when I bled him with my penknife. Fear had produced a terrible effect
upon him, and his hair, which the evening before was as black as jet,
had now changed to the whiteness of snow. He never recovered,
notwithstanding the attention shown to him by the Indians who
accompanied him to St. Louis. Reason had forsaken its seat, and, as I
learned some time afterwards, when, being in St. Louis, I went to the
mission to inquire after him, he died two days after his arrival at the
Jesuits' college.
As to the puma, the Indians found it dead at the bottom of the chasm,
completely wrapped in the blanket, and with most of its bones broken.]
The amphibious are the beaver, the fresh-water and sea-otter, the
musk-rat, and a species of long lizard, with sharp teeth, very like the
cayman as regards the head and tail, but with a very short body. It is a
very fierce animal, killing whatever it attacks, dwelling in damp, shady
places, in the juncks, upon the borders of some lakes, and is much
dreaded by the Indians; fortunately, it is very scarce.
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