Chapter 5

Chapter 5

They lay side by side on the grass still wet from the night dew. It was already dawn and in that area near the Tropic of Capricorn the transition to the day was quick. Xiang prepared his crossbow to try his luck from a relatively short distance, but he was aware that small darts could not kill his prey, perhaps not even immobilize it. Jean Luc was holding a very straight and strong tree branch with the point sharpened with a knife to improvise a javelin or light spear; If he could reach it with that weapon, he was confident that he could kill the prey.

The little venison was grazing quietly in a clearing about twenty yards away. The faint breeze blew from the direction the animal was toward the stalkers, so it couldn't bring the scent of them to warn the deer. It was a small calf but that would provide meat for several days to the expeditionary ... if they could hunt it.

They hesitated a few more moments until Xiang said.

“All right. We won´t have another chance. Let’s go.”

The dart split with force and went to lodge in the thin neck of the animal that felt the impact and staggered, although it did not fall to the ground and even tried without energy to flee. Jean Luc jumped from the observation post where he was and nimbly covered the short distance throwing the javelin that hit the poor animal's side. The venison looked with its beautiful eyes encircled by eyelashes at the wild hunter who pounced on it, but the forces abandoned it and the French man fell on her with his knife in his hand and cut his neck. A spring of blood covered the prey, the hunter and the slaughter site.

The two young men, even amid the excitement of the hunt, proceeded to skin the deer, cut its meat into pieces, and take tendons and any other trifles that might be of some use. They wrapped everything extracted in the animal's skin and were preparing to start the long return to the camp with the good news of the abundance of food when Jean Luc touched his companion's arm. As Xiang looked at him interrogatively the Frenchman pointed in a lateral direction, without saying a word. The former's legs faltered slightly at the sight.

At a distance of about two hundred feet a big cat was watching them in silence. They immediately recognized the jaguar or yaguareté as it is known in parts of South America.

The jaguar, whose scientific name is Panthera onca, is the largest feline in the Americas and the third largest in the world, after the Bengal tiger and the lion; its length can reach seven feet and its weight three hundred pounds. In modern times there have been few reports of jaguar attacks on humans but several have been documented.

Due to indiscriminate hunting and the extension of the agricultural frontier, the jaguar is an endangered species in many geographic areas of America.

The animal was staring at them. He had come to that glade possibly attracted by the noise of fighting and the smell of blood produced by cutting the meat from the deer. The two friends did not know how to proceed in the presence of the predator, but tacitly excluded any threat to it that would lead to unpredictable reactions. Between them they loaded the skin of the venison containing the victim's meat and began to retreat in the direction of the camp and opposite to that of the beast, which was static watching them. Jean Luc pointed the javelin in the direction of the feline as he walked backwards, ready to throw the load to the ground and defend himself with the spear when the situation required it.

The return march was long and tiring due to the weight carried, but the satisfaction of obtaining food compensated the effort.

The reception in the camp was festive, since food had been scarce and was reduced to herbs and roots of the forest. The other two expeditionary celebrated the arrival of the meat of their prey, as the primitive groups of homo sapiens and their ancestors celebrated the return of successful hunting raids in ancient times. The layer of culture that separates civilized beings from primitive precursors is very thin and does not resist hunger.

After cooking some selected prey on the coals and wrapping the leftover and hanging it from high branches to avoid robberies by forest animals that would deprive them of their livelihood, the four comrades gathered around the fire to discuss the alternatives of the day. The night was falling fast and the sounds of the jungle changed their tone. Suddenly, total silence prevailed around the camp. Already accustomed to perceiving the signs of the forest and their variations, the campers in turn made silence, paying attention to the surroundings. Numerous eyes watched them from the nearby frond coming from the most varied creatures. Suddenly Meiling stood up and began to walk with great caution towards the edge of the grove.

“Meiling, wait.” Shouted her brother, always alert to the movements of the girl, while Jean Luc carried a burning branch and everyone went after her. When they got to the place where the girl was the torch light illuminated the area near the glade and they saw it there.

Lying on the grass and between the fronds of the bushes the jaguar watched them in silence. The light from the flames illuminated its silhouette and its large head endowed with powerful jaws. Seeing a fire approaching, the cat sat up emitting a barely audible roar.

“It's huge!” Exclaimed scared Aylen.

"It is the same jaguar that looked at us at the hunting site." Replied Jean Luc.

"He followed us here." Xiang reflected darkly. "Now he knows the place of our camp and can return whenever he wants."

"Look, he's leaving." Added Aylen.

As if hypnotized they all stared at the beast that disappeared from the area lit by the torch. Fear had paralyzed them in the darkness. Finally Meiling said quietly.

“This jaguar is very angry.”

Everyone looked at the girl wondering about the meaning of her statement.

"It may be because he has seen us eating and he is hungry." Aylen speculated, but Xiang shook his head.

“No. That is not the reason. It is because we have hunted in what the jaguar considers to be its territory. It considers us invaders and competitors.”

Meiling had already gone to bed and the other three campers were talking in the firelight.

"I cannot conceive how your sister understands the thoughts and feelings of wild beasts and their reasons." Said puzzled Jean Luc.

"Until now her perceptions have been correct in all cases." Aylen replied.

“I admit it ... but saying that a jaguar is angry with us and therefore constitutes a danger ... I don't know.”

“If it is with any rancor it can be dangerous, there are examples of beasts that were wounded in Africa and become threats to man.” Said Xiang.

“Much more danger have men been for wild animals; countless species have been extinct in all parts of the world.”

“We have not threatened the jaguar at any time.”

“But it is true that we are hunting in what he considers its territory.” Jean Luc always defended an environmental point of view. “This is the jaguar's vision.”

“I must abide by my human vision.” Xiang replied. “If the animal wants to have all this immense jungle for its exclusive use it is not something that we have to respect. Nor would we respect that to a human.”

“But the point is that large predators need extremely large areas for each individual. That´s why they are solitary and not social animals.” The French did not give his arm to twist.

“Very many animal species became extinct because their needs, particularly food needs, became dysfunctional in changing environments. In the new conditions they could no longer be maintained.”

Aylen emerged from her silence.

“On this issue I agree with Xiang. Perhaps the jaguar is doomed because of its vital needs. Well, this conversation is very interesting but I don't think we will come to a definitive conclusion. I'm going to sleep. I don't think this will take my sleep away.”