Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1868-12-09

not have bid very high on the chance Of
| getting off, [ assure you.
He was in a fine passion by this time;
and in his circling about kept drawing
nearer to me III the tree, though he he'd
| lost my trail He was a magnificent spe-
cimen of his kind-about two feet and a
half high, and six feet long, without
measuring his tail; his hide fierce yell
low, spotted all over with dark rings.
So much I could see while he was quite
a ways off.
"At last he got the trail again, and
being by this time perfectly furious from
being so long baked of his prey, he set
up wild screech that made me shiver,
and no mistake On he came, with great
bounds, by the side of which runaway
/ horse wouldn't stand the least show
g \ minute more aud he saw me-
"The next instant he had sprung for
ward and grabbed the tree with his huge
paws, and was standing on his hind legs,
staring up at ME with his fierce, red eyes
The little tree trembIed under the infu-
ence of the beasts weight; and if ever
you are up in tree, With htngry man
eating iaguar standing up against it, his
fore paws good eight feet up on the slen-
der trunk, giving it convulsiye trembling
that makes it seem to- be a part of the
jaguar,s own body, quivering with rage
and bloodthrstness srell, | hope you
never will be, but if you are, you'll know
what | mean when say that felt like
fainting and falling out of the tree to be
eaten up
" Finding he couldn't climb such slen-
der trunk, the jagular got down, drew back
a little, and gave one great leap at me.
He couldn't jump to where | was though.
But he struck the tree high up. and for
al Instant clung 10 It, bearing it over with
his weight till | thought All, may she
saints save US my time has come!
"But it was only for moment. He fell
down in heap to the ground.
'Then began a scene which never to his
diving day will old Joel forget [ lived
years IN the two hours Of horribls 8u5-
pense that followed. ....
Down under me the jaguar ragged. He
swept around and arounI the tree, his red
eyes fixed on me with an unrelaxing vigi-
lance Tired a last with this, hecrouch
ed down under the tree, roaring with fury
at being thus tantalized, fixed his eyes on
mine and sat there, his red mouth gaping
wide, showing his jagged rows of teeth,
and his tail beating the ground,
"My attitude in the branches of the tree
Il, - /.
on my ogerstrained muscles. [ felt my
self growing weaker and weaker Tie
jaguar's eyes were exerting 2 sort of fas
cination over me, you see, as serpent
does over "a bird. uldn't take my eyes
off Of his | couldn't change my position
without great danger of falling; aad |
began to mutter to myself, like mar who
is going crazy.
Gail Of a sudden l began to pray; and
as prayed my st ength seemed to return
to me. and the film that was gathering
over my eyes to break away.
40 Father in Heaven [ breathed,
save me from the jaws of the terrible
man eater; save me save me- = 1t was
all that I could mutter, for / was like a
man who is sinking into dream.
"And all the time there sat the jaguar.
his gaze rivited on mine-his eyes seemed
absolutely red with gore blind to every
thing in the world but the man whose
blood be thirsted for, deaf to every sound,
conscious only of his prey and his rage at
being bafled SO long.
"'Ah, my prayer is heard
"There came the swish of lasso,
which went over the beasts neck sudden
Iy, and was drawn tight.
"Swish ! Another from the other side
drawn tight.
"Then for the first time tore my gaze
away from the tigers blood red eyes, and
behed my deIive rers.
"'Juan Pedlop | screamed aloud,
and fell to laughing immoderately.
"'Jorl came the answer. Saved,
comrade, saved Climb down, Jorl' and
slay your enemy.
Il slid out of the tree like monkey
I whipped out my knife and approached
the jaguar.
"'Pull, Juan cried pull Pedro
drawn thus at opposite sides by the
two lassoes, the jaguar reared, helpless,
on his hind legs. l took my knife and
plunged it into his side, and bounded
back ont OF 'the mnrdcrer's' way. He fell
dead at my feet. = Youths Companion.