Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1869-02-11
THE GYMNlST and JlGUlR.

LIE UIMN1Dl 1lIU JAUUAns
I met the gymnast at meDage-
rie which was stationed in New
York one winter. His name was
Jorl-I never knew whether it
was his first or last name, for ]
never heard him called anything
but Jorl.
He was full of interesting sto-
ries, l found, had been in nearly
all the countries of the globe, and
had had adventures innumerable.
We fell into conversation about the
wild beasts in the cages before us,
and he soon began to tell me one
Eof his stories. k8s
There was South American
tiger in one of the cages-or ja-
guar, as it should be called-and
inquired of its habits.
"They are a terrible creature in
their native lairs, sir" said the
gymnast. GA fercer animal don't
go on four legs, promise you
A grown-up one never yet was
caught. That one there looks
quietly enough, but he is the ug-
liest beast in the show. He was
caught when he was a baby, and
has never been out of a cage since,
but he's far from tame. He is not
SO wild as he might be, I'll allow,
but yet tame he is not, nor never
will be.
"There is an African lion over
yonder, that looks more terrible,
with his great shaggy name and
his big body; but if l had got to
be put into the one or the other
of them, you may be sure I'd go
in with the gentleman from Afri- |
ca. | amt very much afraid of
him, but the jaguar / am afraid of |
He'd make nothingof |
just chawing my head right off |
of me
"You saw the lion-king go into
that other cage today, I suppose ?
Well, you just keep coming here
till you see the lion-king go into
that jaguar's cage, and the result
will be that you will come every
day for the next six months-and
then you won't see him do it. He
never dwssit, sir. He don't dare.
Sand yet, as said before, that
jaguar looks quiet enough, and he
is no more to be compared to a
i've one, roaming about in his
native wilds, than a fighting cock
S to be compared to an American
,ald eagle. Il
81 could tell you pretty story
Ibout fight / once saw between
me of them Panama roosters and {
! bald eagle, but not today. But
{ you don't mind sitting down l
lere for q few minutes, I'll tell I
'ou about jaguar that chased S
ne in South America. u
| agreed to this proposition, i
nd we sat down. 1t
''You must know, in the first e
lace" said the gymnast, "that v
be jaguar generally, is like other o
hid beasts in this respect-that t
e don't prey on human flesh. He t
reys on animals and fish, and G
e only fights man when attack. "
] himself; but then don't he fight h
View He is just the ugliest
'eature that ever licked his jaws. a
"But though this is true Of the o
lguar in general, it is not truce of t
me particular ones, you see.- n
Then one of them has once met ir
man and fought with him, he is al
1t the same beast for the rest of I
S hfe-he is more ferocious and &C
oodthirsty. If the man escapes, |
lis is true. But when he don't es- M
he is killed, and the m
lguar eats him up-ah, that's a NJ
eadful misfortune !" 81
The gymnast shuddered. ca
''Of course it was always a mis- m
rtune for a human being to be ar
lied, that is understood but it WI
a misfortune in this case, for sa
is reason-that the jaguar be- tn
mes from that day q hunter of Try
IN. He has tasted human flesh,
d found out that there IS no nj
ler so sweet. He watches for go
n night and day, and woe TO
man that crosses his track : asl
''Well, sir, that was my lot exact
/ crossed the track of man. he
Ter, whose fame was terror to