[Illustration: Cover art] [Illustration: THE JAGUAR OPENED HIS JAWS THREATENINGLY (see page 182)] KEN WARD IN THE JUNGLE BY ZANE GREY AUTHOR OF THE YOUNG FORESTER, THE YOUNG PITCHER, THE YOUNG LION HUNTER, THE U. P. TRAIL, ETC. ILLUSTRATED NEW YORK GROSSET & DUNLAP PUBLISHERS Published by Arrangement with Harper & Brothers Made in the United States of America COPYRIGHT, 1912, BY HARPER & BROTHERS PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA *CONTENTS* CHAP. I. The Prize II. The Home of the Tarpon III. An Indian Boatman IV. At the Jungle River V. The First Camp VI. Wilderness Life VII. Running the Rapids VIII. The First Tiger-cat IX. In the White Water X. Lost! XI. An Army of Snakes XII. Catching Strange Fish XIII. A Turkey-Hunt XIV. A Fight with a Jaguar XV. The Vicious Garrapatoes XVI. Field Work of a Naturalist XVII. A Mixed-up Tiger-hunt XVIII. Watching a Runway XIX. Adventures with Crocodiles XX. Treed by Wild Pigs XXI. The Leaping Tarpon XXII. Stricken Down XXIII. Out of the Jungle *KEN WARD IN THE JUNGLE* *I* *THE PRIZE* “What a change from the Arizona desert!” The words broke from the lips of Ken Ward as he leaned from the window of the train which was bearing his brother and himself over the plateau to Tampico in Tamaulipas, the southeastern state of Mexico. He had caught sight of a river leaping out between heavily wooded slopes and plunging down in the most beautiful waterfall he had ever seen. “Look, Hal,” he cried. The first fall was a long white streak, ending in a dark pool; below came cascade after cascade, fall after fall, some wide, others narrow, and all white and green against the yellow rock. Then the train curved round a spur of the mountain, descended to a level, to be lost in a luxuriance of jungle growth. It was indeed a change for Ken Ward, young forester, pitcher of the varsity nine at school, and hunter of lions in the Arizona cañons. Here he was entering the jungle of the tropics. The rifles and the camp outfit on the seat beside his brother Hal and himself spoke of coming adventures. Before them lay an unknown wilderness--the semi-tropical jungle. And the future was to show that the mystery of the jungle was stranger even than their imaginings.