[7] A vivid account of an adventure with these formidable animals will be found in Mr. Barrington Brown's 'Canoe and Camp Life in British Guiana,' page 71. Very little is known about them, but they are believed to have their haunts in the unexplored mountain districts, from which they occasionally descend into other parts. Mr. Brown states that the Indians fear them above everything; and, while comparatively brave as regards jaguars and tiger-cats of all kinds, give way to utter panic at the mere idea that 'Warracaba tigers' are in their neighbourhood. It is said that nothing stops or frightens them except a broad stream of water--not even fire. "What on earth are they?" asked Leonard. "Warracaba tiger," Monella said, "is the name given to a species of small 'tiger' (in America all such animals are called 'tigers') that hunts in packs, and is reputed to be unusually ferocious. They have a peculiar trumpeting cry, not unlike the sound made by the Warracaba bird--the 'trumpet-bird'--hence their name." "They look to me more like light-coloured pumas," Jack remarked. "No; pumas are not marked like that, and do not make the sounds we heard. Besides, you need never fear a puma, and should never shoot at one, unless it is attacking your domestic animals." Both Templemore and Elwood looked up in surprise. "I always thought," the latter said, "that pumas were such bloodthirsty animals." "So they are, to other animals--even the jaguar they attack and kill. But men they never touch, if let alone. I do not believe there is a single authenticated instance of a puma's hurting any human being, man, woman or child. In the Andes and Brazil--where I have lived long enough to know--the Gauchos call the puma 'Amigo del cristiano'--'the friend of man'--and they think it an evil thing to kill one."[8] [8] A very interesting account of the South American puma will be found in 'The Naturalist in La Plata,' by Mr. W. H. Hudson. He states that the puma has a strange natural liking for, or sympathy with, man; that, though ferocious and bloodthirsty in the extreme as regards other animals, yet it never attacks man, woman, or child, awake or asleep. He quotes many authorities, and gives numerous instances, of a very remarkable character, from the accounts of hunters and others whom he has himself seen and questioned.