The Osceola times., 1886-09-18
THE BLACK TIGER.
> How Ho Was Captured bya Young
Honduran.

"If we taSo him alive, without ,
scratch, Francisco, you shall have fy,
doubioons."
Francisco tore his cigar from be
tween his lips and dashed it to the
ground.
"Tcn hundred douJloons," he cried
in mn agony Of impaticnce. "Sanoi
Hcnrigo, not for 10000 doublons can
We do that thing. Ills impossib'l You
hear me, Senior Ienrigo, it is impossib'
IAilI him. Yes, Kin him for one
doub.oon. But catch him alive. Non,
non. Not any tgrcro in Honduras can
do that thing. You know how strong
Is this tiger Nero this black tiger.
WIN one slap OF his paw he kills ms an
oN. lie Is big Ike "a horse, nimblt like
a cat he can jump Ike bird and his
claws and teeth they are cnchilios-
they are crooked knives, with EDGES
Ike q razor.
a soft, musical voice interrupted him.
"Bucnas dias,' # said, and Francisco
and myself turned at the same moment,
10 recognize in the spcakera lad named
.GllIcrmo, who had been working with
gang Of mahogany cutters in the for
o,t near the hacienda where | was stop
ping. lie was apparently not more than
sixteen years OF age, but his bare arms
and legs were kuotted with punches of
muscle and his handsome face had an
open, fearless expression seldom met
"iih among the poems, or lab0rers, OF
Central America
, Good day he repeated, ''what is
the talk?'
Polly replied Francisco, much
foollshness. One tiger Nero is kin four
teen oxen in three weeks for Don Jose
Geray, here at the hacienda He ia
come into the pens and carry of three
calves; he is Kill one herdcr. and the
whole hacienda is frightened Of him.
know him. lie is the biggest tiger in
all Honduras; and what YOU think,
Guillcrmo? Don Hcnugo is give me
i've doubloons when [ catch i'm alive.
Lh, how is that like youp ! am not Kill
him. / am catch him in my hands, and
Seuor Henrgo gives me five doubloons.
The extravaganza OF the idea made
Francisco laugh. He was one of the
ho!da,t ''tigrcros,' or professional tiger
hunters, in Honduras, and with only lis
spear had killed dozens of the beasts
which prey upon the hprdcrs' oxen; but
hc had never before thought Of capiur-
ing one Of them alive, and the idea
seemed to him absurd.
But tho boy, GuiIlcrmo, did not
laugh.
Five doubIoons"' he said, graycly;
chow much rcab is so many doub-
loons?"
'SiN hundred.n
lie brought his right fist down into
thopalm Of his left hand with n sound
ing blow
81 catch him for you, Senior Hen
rigo,' he said, quietly. Not ono
scratch he shall have. | know the
patch of sar7aparilla where he hides,
and tonight | catch him. SIX hundred
reals, Yes, Seuor Hcnrigo, | catch him
tonight for six hundred reals. And
the boy turned on his heel ANA vanished
as quickly rs he had come, but not So
quickly that he failed tohe1r Francisco
jccring cry: "You catch him2 lou-a
boy catch a tiger Nero alive? Caram-
ba, He win bite You in bits"
At five o'clock that night Guilormc
was again at the hacienda.
The trap is built Scnor Henrigo,
hn said quietly, but have no bait,
ann only n boy-I-and to coax the
tiger the trap viii need one calf. ono
young COW, to cry and cry, SO that Che
tiger may hear it and come. am only
boy-I-and have no calf "
That's all right, Guillermo, ! saio
at once, for liked the boys spirit, and
while doubted that he could do that
which 50 old and experienced y ugrcrc
as Francisco declared impossible, | wa,
willing to aid him to the extent of fur
nishing bait for his trap.
"lf YOU would like TO see Don Tiger
walk into the cage. it can be so, Guil-
lemOtold me a few minutes later, rs h
laid the bawImg calf which | had pro-
cured from my friends herd across hi,
shoulders. "ihere will be young
moon tonight and | make You a nest
IN Tie vines high up in mahogany tree
whore you can see, but tiger not see
You.
Good boyr | said heartily, 'that
Will suit me exactly
Whom had procured my rifle and q
light lunch from the hacienda, we mad,
our way to the sarsaparilla jungle
wherein the tiger lurkcd.
The trap proved to be an inclosurc o
logs, about seven feet long by five wide
and SIX high. The sides were made O
strong Young tree trunks firmly planted
IN the ground, close together The TOT
was built into the sides by noiching The
top and side timbers. and the whole wa.
so secured by wedges and doyetails q
to BE- solid rs q rock. In front -dircctl
below the perch which Guillermo sool
1ulli for US in a mahogany tree oycrrui
by yinos-a sliding door was raised anC
secured by a barwhich passed along Tho
Top of the trap, and was 80 arranged
that violent pull at the bait wouit
spring n spindle which communicates
N'h the pole through grapevine rope