The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1872-09-10

bing piteously, at times crying aloud in
appeal to GuaGhos whom he knew
"Sanoho " "Diego !" "El Negro TO
help "MiTry Warburton for che dear
little fellow, delivered from his fist ag-
ony Of alarm, seemed now to think only
Of my peril. The idea was good one,
although the chld's weak voice could Of
course not reach far. Exerting the full
strength of my lungs, l twice shouted
forth the well known desert cry when
jaguar is sighted: "Mozos a mi Ell
Tigre Mo. zos ."--and fancied. as |
uttered the second call, that heard
distant answer, like faint echo. But
now | had need Of all my breath and all
my muscles, for the iuiuriated animal
with which | fought, tearing the cloth OF
the soft mantle t. puIp, was gradually
getting its grim jaws free Twice al.
ready, had my wrist and arm been grazed
by its keen teeth-I bear the white scars
to this day-and the horrible odor Of the
creature. aud the remorseless z are OF its
small bloodshot eye, impressed me with
the fantastic notion that my enemy was
something evil beyond the mere furious
greed Of u wild beast. Yet | grasped
the whaleboue whip handle, and drove iD
the knife with all the force Of an arm
that was fast growing exhausted Spent,
breathess, giddy, was dragged down,
and in kneeing attitude, exerted the
remains Of my waning strength in stab
at the aligator's thoat. The blade broke
short off by the handle as it lodged among
the stout scales Of the neck.
Just then [ heard shout, and the
tramp Of u horse coming up at full aud
furious speed. Ga they came, the stecd
foam heckcd and gored by the spur, the
rider brandishiug high above his head
the spiral coils OF the lasso. recogniz
cd the horseman in an instant. 1t was
Juan, the Guacho, the boldest aud most
dexterous of all that Centaur brother
hood and he knew me, and comprehend.
ed at glance the state Of affairs
"Stand back, Eoglishman - stand
back " he cried aloud, "and I'll do the
rest; Mozos !-EI Tigrc l-Mo.zos ~
Aud he whlrled the lasso high, squirting
his frightened horse nearer aud nearer to
the spot.
Keeling, broathless, and dizzy Of brain,
| understood the Guacho's meaning suf.
iiclently to stand back, letting go my hold
Of the tough whip handle, which, with
the tattered poncho wrapped around it, L
had hitherto obstinatcly kept between me
aud the alligator's churuing jaws The
iniarated brute followed me up with bit
ter hate, his hateful snout all but BRUSH
ing my knee as | staggered back. But
just at that instant, whirr crack came
the well known sound Of the heavy lasso
whlsting past, launched with unerriug
aim, and as | gazed about me with
haggard eyes, | saw that the moose was
tightening round the reptiles neck while
Juan, with the end Of the stout cord
fastened to his saddle, had started Of at a
canter, towing along the alligator after
him, as he had tugged along many bull
and many wild stccd.
For an instant it seemed as if the
Guacho's would be an easy triumph ; but
1t was ouly the surprise Of the shock that
had mastered the alligator, a very largC
one, and great weight aud strength
which soon began to tell. | saw thc
horse brought, with jerk, to stop, and
then, to my dismay, beheld steed aud ri
der dragged by sheer force towards the
lagoon, vainly striving to resist the su.
perior power Of the gigantic tyrant Of the
waters. Juan drove in his sp RS, urging
his painting aud terrified horse by voice
hand, aud k"ec, to put out its who'll
strength but it soon seemed plain thai
unless the saddle girths give way, drag
ged down into the pool he would be, ,hors,
aud man, while there could be in such ;
case, little doubt Of the conflict. To Gu
tne cord, would have been the only mod,
OF separating the combatants in this un
equal duel but had let fall my broker
knife in the long Pampas grass, aud +
Guacho clings to his lasso with The sam,
mechanical impulse that causes a seaman
10 hold fast to shroud or stay. "Let g
the rope !" | called to him as loudly "A
| could. "Loose the end from the sad
die ring, aud let the end go"' But Jual
paid no heed to my advice, but spurret
his struggling horse, uttering at the fu!
pitch of his voice the "tiger call'' Of tn,
herdsmen
The child had crept close to me, ant
was holdidg on to my coat, weeping an,
callius on his absent father, and his pres
ence embarrassed me for, wearied an'
disarmed as was, | felt eager to come o
the bold lad. who had saved me from tn
very jaws of death F; but just at that mo
ment that the mulatto girl, Charlie
nurse came running down the hill wit
sobs and outcries in search Of the truau
charge who had strayed off while she Wa
threading scarlet berries for necklace
: four ofour mounted meu rame thunderin
down with CHEEKY shouts and lassoe
whirled aloft; and in very short tim
the alligator, strong and savage as he wa
Doosed entangled by the plant cord
stabbed with knives, and beaten down b
bolas, lay dead and harmless.
Before we left the spot, number {
other persons, alarmed by the "tiger call
> never before heard so near the hacieI
+ da itself-camc up, aud among the last {
6 these was Don Miguel, already instruc
n ed by a mounted messenger as to wh'
. had occurred. He arrived, pale wit
/ emotion, sprang from his horse, and clasl
. ed his little son in his arms, eyeing tt
. child all over with jealous anxiety, as
to be assured that he was really unscatl
q ed : then coming up to me, he graspe
!, both my hands, and before | could pr
4 vent him, kissed them as ferventy
= ever devotee pressed his lips to the reli
2 of saint.
An lrishmau named Iliggins was ro
: bed of $500 at Worcester, Wednesda
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