Baton Rouge tri-weekly gazette & comet. [volume] (Baton Rouge, La.) 1865-18??, 1868-06-16
OH Ga3ette allb Comet.
concluded from First Page.)

lew inches. ran at them with my
machete, and they glided off into the
darkness as gently as oil from water.
| came back laughing, quite tickled
to remember how funny the creatures
had looked squatting SO solemnly
about my fire. But the mirth died
out when l saw them every one
stink quietly back to his place, and
sit down and stare again. The
mirth was gone; but still 1 was not
a bit alarmed Only they looked SO
ghostly somehow, with their pale,
shadowy coats and burning eyes.
But when / drove them off again.
and they still came back on the in.
slant, began to SILVER little.
lay down and pretended to sleep,
watching them. For ten minutes
they rested perfectly still, never
moving a muscle, nor blinking their
eyes. The hair Of my flesh began
to stand up, and l half doubted
whether these were living, blooded
things at all. Then one Of the big.
gest rose up, and moved a few inches
nearer; the other followed his ex-
ample. Then they sat again and
stared for ten minutes. It was
horrid nightmare, and the sweat
poured off me on to the ground.
Then the movement was repeated
again and again, until the nearest
dog, the leader of the pack, was
within two feet of my body, and his
eyes blazed over me like green
lamps; and I could see how his lips
were drawn back and the big teeth
were set.
I could bear it no longer. Selling
the gun beneath my shoulder, l
sprang up and fired. He dropped
dead among the blazing logs, and
the others bounded away into the
underwood. That had settled them,
! thought, with great sigh Of relief,
dragging the body out by the hind
legs. / waited for half an hour, and
all remained quiet. So at length
WEAKNESS overpowered me, and l
slept.
My dreams were SO horrid and
CHASTITY, that l woke up with start.
In fancy | had seen the coyotes,
gro1 to size gigantic, and Of as
pect terrible, creeping closer and
closer toward me, and when | opened
my eyes-Gran dos! the dream
was realized Round me they were
squatting again, the pallid devils,
watching my face! Madly / rushed
on them, and they vanished-only
to stink back as before. Then l
looked out for tree to climb, for l
knew my next doze must be fatal. /
hunted all about by the light Of
blazing brand, but not trunk in
that solemn, cruel forest was prac-
ticable. The coyotes followed me,
sliding from cover to cover, noiseless
and ghostly. l grew mad with fear
and superstition. Suddenly, while
I stood amazed and painting, wet
with cold sweat. and glaring wildly
into the darkness, laundering rev.
roar made the forest trees
CULVER and the very ground to shake.
For nearly minute, it echoed among
The trunks, then it died away. /
knew the sound, for many a time
had it reused me at dead of night,
with a cold shudder Of fear. Few
men there are who have blessed
God to hear the voice Of jaguar,
out l cried out my thanksgiving |
aloud.
The coyotes rushed past me in
avery direction, and I could trace
heir hasty fight by the crack Of
broken sticks and the rustic Of the
lndergrowth. | was not bit fear
ul OF the tiger. It seemed to me
hat Heaven had sent him to pre-.
'erve my body from those devilish
Monsters, and 1 knew he would not
njure me. Straight | went back to
he fire and fell asleep, feeling conf.
lent in the guard of my preserver.
That seems odd, doesn't it2 That a
nan should lie down within a few
,ards Of a hungry jaguar, and thank
Tod for his presence But SO it was.
Vext morning found his trail, cir
ling round and round the fire, as if
10 had mounted guard over me all
light; and neutrality-suspicious.
till, ! think the blessed saints them
elves sent that beast to save me.
Such was my night with coyotes,
enor, on the head waters of the
Vaux, and that memory it is which
nakes me tremble to hear the
Vhimpering of those demons in the
darkness.