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about to be set upon by a flock of chickens. I lay back down, my heart thumping. The sounds drew closer.

No, it’s nothing. There’s nothing out there. It’s only your imagination. It’s all in your mind.

I heard the rustle again, too close and too real to ignore. I clutched the flashlight, stuck my head out of the mosquito net, turned it on . . . and found myself face-to-face with a jaguar.

It was large, covered with black spots. One of its paws was raised off the ground, as if it had been about to take another step. When I turned the light on it, it put its foot down without stepping forward. It stood at a distance of about twelve feet. Just stood there looking at me. It wasn’t blinded by the light, but it stopped and looked me over. It didn’t appear particularly menacing; it wasn’t roaring or licking its chops. Its eyes were neither ferocious nor meek. They were just great cat’s eyes, staring at me. The jaguar stood perfectly still; only its tail waved slowly back and forth.

‘Go away,’ I whined. ‘Get out of here. Beat it. Do you hear me? Get away.’

I was trembling and started to scream loudly at the jaguar. ‘Get out of here, you son of a bitch! Go away! I’ll burn you up! Get away!’

The flashlight had a chain to hang it from. I clamped it between my teeth in order to have both hands free. I felt around on the ground by my knees and found the repellent spray and the lighter. I held the lighter in my left hand and the spray in