Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1888-06-15

by a iaguar. Either Of the visitors
could haYe passed to the shore as
we lay against the bank in deep
water, but both seemed determined
TO remain with us. 1t wasn't two
minutes before the fierce growls OF
the jaguar proved that a conflict
was imminent, and thirty seconds
later serpent and beast were hav-
ing it hot and heavy along the hur-
ricane deck. While the row was
gong on a second jaguar boarded
us over the bows, which we're open
back to the pilot-house, and look
ing from window it seemed as if
we were beset from the river side.
1t was a full half.hOur before the
panic subsided, and by that time
every crockodlle must have had a
square meal and over.
We had shut ourselves up when
the serpent came aboard. A fight
certainly took place between the
snake and the first jaguar, and
when the second came aboard the
fight took on new phase. Wheth-
or the two beasts were attacking
the reptile together or whether it
was triangular contest we could
not tell, but after the panic along
the river had subsided we carefully
opened the CABIN doors and looked
out. One of the jaguars lay dead
on the deck, while the other and
the serpent we're gone. An exam
ination of the dead beast showed
that he had been caught in the
folds of the snake and that the lat
ter was a boaconstrictor. The
backbone and nearly all the ribs
were broken.
Three or four days later we had
near and plain view of a still
more singular combat. We had
tied up to the bank Tor the night
and were eating supper, when a
wild bull came down to the water
by a path only two hundred feet
above us. He was either thirsty
or reckless, for he gave us no at
tentlon. Within ten feet OF where
he lowered his head to drink was
large tree, and the bull had scarce
| ly tasted the water when an enor'
nous serpent flung itself down
ward and outward from a large
limb and seized the bull. There
was a great fuss instantly. The
snake had a tail hold on the limb
but the bull was stout and strong
| and could not be pulled off his feet
While taken by surprise he was
not in the least ratified, and from
the way he used hoof and horns We
| saw that the serpent had under
taken a big job. Mud, and leaves
and grass were flying in showers
almost hiding the bull from oul
view, when monster crockodil'
came ont of a bed Of reeds few
rods above, and running along
down the bank, seized the bull by
a fore.leg. The defiant roars of th'
victim we're now changed to below
| of terror and dismay. While th'
snake attempted to haul one wal
the crockodiIe pulled the other
After three or four minutes tn,
saurian got an advantage, and sud
denly the serpent let go his hold o
the tree and then such rumpu
was kicked up that we could sc
n othing of the combat. When tn
air cleared a little the serpent wa
escaping into a thick fringe c
foliage. We fred our rifles at tn
bull and crockodile and scare
them of. The bull was weak an
evidently had been badly hurt.
Let one travel on foot throug
the most populous district in tn
United States and one would ne
see a single house.dog or cat wheT
we saw three jaguars along tn
Orinoco. There was not one hou
during daylight for a period {
three months that these creature
were not around US, and most
the time one or more were in sigh
Whenever we ran along close
the banks we saw them crouche
down on flood-wOod or movin
through the forest, and whenev'
we came to a sandy beach ov'
which the turtles crawled a iagui
could surely be counted on for e.
cry half.mile. In the three inon'l
we killed upwards OF 200 of the'
animals, and in almost every l
stance saved the skin. In only oI
case was any OF US IN danger fro
thiS cunning and feroclous beast
, | The steamer had been tied to q
bank, and we had been making G
cursions from that spot for thr
or four days, when one afternoo
when only one ot.the young I'd
was left behind at the fire on t
. bank, a jaguar crept up and spra1
, upon him. 1t was a wonderl
} sprin e, as we afterward discover(
r From the spot where the bef
| crouch ed to the place where
, alighted on his victim was il
wenty.six feet. The young IN
!, was lsneeling down and bendi
/, over a. specimen which he was
5 amin ng, and the jaguar fell on
L l.. I.A n