Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1890-05-24
DESERET EYEAIHG HENS
Saturday, May -. 1890.
4 Natural iroH-C.ad.

we had proceeded ygihapsa guar
ter Of mile without Incident, when,
ON entering a litlle oasis OF grass
among the sand hjilocks, Hans
stopped short, thinking lac heard 4
slight noise near ut baud. When it
was repeated an instant later. he
stepped softly toward the SPOT from
which il seemed 10 come, and saw
a dark Object, about n large as a
wUOdChuck and almost rs Hat as
it, own shadow, shuil!ing from one
taft Of grass TO another, stopping
bat a moment 10 sniil about the
roots Of each, and then tr0tting away
10 the. Uext.
Reasoning as [ had done the
previous night, he lcvcied his gun
and pulled the trigger just ss the
pvluuO emerged from the shadow
into the full light Of the moon.
Rushing forward through the smoke
10 pick up the gsme hc was amazed
10 see the PeluGo sounding away un-
hurt. as fast n it, short legs would
carry it. lie gave chase at once
ami soon overlook il, hut il lodged
suddenly ami made OF in another
direction, while he ran some dis
lance past. Recovering himself, he
dashed after il again ard bringing
his foot DOWN fairly on its back sue
ceeded only in upsetting himself
without stopping the almadilio.
Again anu agaiU Ee overlook and
s'oo.ei 10 gasp Il, but each time
got only a handful Of sand and
grass. lie was rapidly being wind
ID, While Icludu -UIl seemed Per
:-cliy fresh, and in al probability
we should have lost our game AFTER
all. had not Miguel az this jauC;ure
brought his club down on the ami
msps head, APPARENTLY killing it
outright. II was only shammiug,
however, and Icy digging Us lOLS
claws igtu the g.ruEi was aide Tor
several minutes o. Jyfy aligg-l'-
knife But eventually e vital SPOT
was found, and Is soon is iJ was
dead We icgau TO examine !: curl
Cus'y. IuCluliug the tail, Sc was
not far from ,wo tsin length.
and weighed perhaps seven o. eight
pounds.
10 was ElLIe wonder ;Lst Hans.
shot hal 80 cfle, {, for ts:c rounded
back was covered completely with a
ragt Of mail urmei II c.g-~ VOWS or
bands OF thick, iony Il-t,s, 50 hard
aud smooth that nine tmys out a
ten they would have turned of a
riic-hIllct. The seams OF lines Of
skin between the bands were almost
hidden 10y the overlapping # tie
plates, ana Were thiuly spriuEisd
with coarse hair. This Lca0me m0ge
on the belly and legs. TIE
teeth, which grew only on the sides
81 the Jaws, were OF small siZ-. tut
the feet We're armed with Lrge
claws. Those on the fore feet were
long aud strong. Alto !
getEeT il wss rather areIU .sive-lOOk- |
ing beast, anu il was hard 10 credit |
the assertions II Miguel aud the |
doctor that the flesh rescmhled in
the flavor that Of young roast pig,
and was even more delicious.
This species, the hairy armadIllo
Of the IImP5s, las NO power 20 roll
itself up ia a hall which many Of
its relatives possess tut II attacked
often escapes its enemies ly flatten-
ing itself close against the ground
and feigniuE death. During hot
weather 1t seldom ventures abroad
by day, but searches at night for lis
food Of roots and insects. In winter,
however, or in dull, dark weather,
it sometimes rOams about by iay,
taking refuge, in case Of necessity,
In any hurTow at hand, or, II sur
pEised where the soil is moderately
soft, il can burrow ought OF sight
and out OF danger in n few seconds.
-HdKcr u. BUTTOlcs, IL .Nt.-NichC'as