Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1889-04-10
REMARKABLE BRAVERY.
Bold Encounter Between an In
dian and a Jaguar.


and vast forests of that country:
Jaguars are generally about the size Of
large wolf, Of a brownish yellow, with
black circles and spots along the upper
parts, the skin gradully softening down TO
a pale yellow, and approaching 10 white
about the belly, legs and feet. They steal
upon their prey like the tiger, which, in
ferceness and strength, they much re-
semble. They are powerful enough to kill
horse, al OK, or mule, and carry of or
drag away the dead body afterward.
Zone night" says our informant, Gas 1
lay encamped IN dense forest, on the
bank Of one Of the tributaries of the Anna
ION, with my guide and four negro servants
around me, was startled from my slum-
bers by such a screeching and yelling as l
pray Heaven may never hear againi 1
jumped up, with my ideas all bewlldered
and confused. My campfire had pretty
well gone down, but was still light enough
TO show me the black, shadowy forms Of
my attendants, dancing and bowling around
me like so many fiends.
AS soon as l could shake my senses to-
gether a little, let out my voice to it's very
highest pitch, and, in stentorian tones, de-
manded the cause of this nocturnal
tumult.
asa jaguar, masterl jaguar among the
mules y yelled every voice in reply.
"'Well, if there were forty jaguars, in
stead of one, they might have been scared
INTO fits by this timer returned 1; 'and so
cease your Internal ceilings, and like rea-
soning human beings, tell me all you know
about itr'
my cool and apparently unexcited man
ner soon had the effect of calming down the
frightened wretches to common-sense de-
gree; and then learned there had been a
great commotion among the mules-which
were tied so as to feed without escaping,
within short distance of the fre-and this
disturbance was supposed to proceed from
the presence of the dreaded jaguar in their
midst though no one had seen him, and
none had possessed the courage to venture
thither and ascertain.
81 lost no time in seeing that my rife,
pistols and hunting knife were In proper
order; and then getting my Indian guide,
the least tlmid of the tlve, armed with his
long lance, bow and arrows, to keep by my
side, with a blazing brand, / moved eau
tiously forward to the place where the
mules were tied, the four negroes keeping
close at my heels, crouching and trembling
with terror.
ION reaching the frightened animals
was any thing but pleased to find that the
suspicious Of my servants were correct, and
that valuable paclk-mule was among the
missing There were broad traces OF blood,
and a wide trail into some bushes, showing
where he had been dragged away by his
fierce and powerful assaiant / was so
angry at the daring Of the beast and my
loss. that j should have followed on, per-
haps to my own destruction, had not the In
dian guide taken hold of me, and emphatic
ally declared 1 was mad to think OF such
thing
"Don't YOU hear the beast growing over
the carcass, masterP he said; 'and do you
think that now, when he can see so much
better than you, that he will let you ap-
proach him and return aliveP
"tAnd am TO let the audacious scoundrel
escape, and he within reach of as good
rifle ball as ever let out the hearts blood Of
his racer was my angry reply, as l halted
and listened TO his rayenous snarls and
growls.
"Let us hunt him tomorrow, master,
when we can do it with so much less risk,
returned the Indian. My friend, Cotantin,
a great hunter, lives within few leagues
of here, and with his dogs and experienced
attendants be will make sure Of him.
"a minutes reflection convinced me there
was nothing better to be done, for to attack
the animal now, in the dark, was to give
down my anger as well as / could, and
passed weary night in keeping watch
aroun5 The fire, not one OF my party ventur-
ing TO again close his eyes in sleep.
sat the first blush of day dispatched my
oyuide in quest of his friend charging him
to bring him without fail, with all his at
tendants and dogs, and assuring him that
IL the animal was finally caught would pay
a handsome reward.
HAfter IL became light went out into the
thiclket, and there found small portion of
NV mules carcass, the remainder having
been eaten or carried off, or, perhaps, some
thing of both; but l made no further at
tempt TO trace the jaguar further, content
ing mvself 10 wait for the hunters and dogs.
Tbere was n small place, called Cozva, dis
tant some ten or twelve miles, to which one
of the blacks knew the way, and sent the
four of them thither. with all the mules,
save one, which l reserved for my own
riding.
"After my servants had gone was left
alone for several hours, and l amused my
self by secreting myself in a thicket and
irving my workmanship upon the vultures
that. came in Quest of the remnant left by
che DESTROYING beast. l was fortunate
enough 10 kill six before the guide and
hunters appeared upon the scene-a feat OF
which was quite proud.
"My Indian guide retprned about noon
bringing his Indian friend Cotanun, WITT
three more experienced hunters, ana slA
dogs muzzled and IN leash. Cotanun was :
ANAL. wiry man, straight as needle, witt
iat llacl, ewes, and q rather bright, intelh
rent co,;ntenance. He seemed 70 be In tue
cory nrime of life, and his compact, sinewS
limbs were free from all restraint, his only
costume being a strip of green cloth about
the loins. and a band Of feathers around III:
head A bow and sheaf Of arrows, Ions
snear and a knife, were his hunting nipple
ments.
"ae made no use of firearms, consider
ing them too noisy His companions were
armed and dressed like himself, but two o.
them carried each lariat and large
sheepskin with the wool on. What this lat
ter was for, could not imagine then, but
had a chance to see 1t used before night
"As hunters and dogs were all eager for
tie sport TO begin, the sagacious brutes
were led to the spot where the jaguar had
made his midnight feast, and were then set
with many a wild, joyful bark, yelp and
howl, away they went pell-mell, and the
hunters after them, leaving me alone with
Ichura, my faithful guide. FASTENED To
mount my mule, in order TO follow them as
best could, but my guide assured me there
would be no need Of my departure for some
time, as the dogs, getting bothered with the
different scents, would play around IN q
circle before leading on, and even then il
was more than likely they would not hsye
20 60 far to ind the gorged beast of which
they were in quest
"Ichura was right. For half an hour
heard the yelping of the dogs, first in one
direction and then another, but none Of
them appearing 70 be at any considerable
distance. though gradually charging the
area Of their explorations.
AT length there came those peculiar
cries which assured the experienced hunter