The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-08-16
A FIERCE DUEL
TO THE DEATH.
Battle Between Two Wild Creatures in
South America.
A Tiger and Huge Boa Constructor Engage
in Mortal Combat Graphic Description
by an Eyewitness.

| tween two wild creatures in the remote
! forests of South America. The battle was
! watched from beginning to end by Manuel,
the tiger hunter, and in its closing state by
| ManuePs son Pablo, says writer for the
New York Recorder AT this time Manue
| was living in the far mountain Businesses of
one of the tributaries of the Orinoco with
his wife and fourteen-year-old son. The
| duel was between a spotted tiger and a boa
constructor. Ordinarily these creatures give
| little heed to each other, but in this case the
circumstances were trifle out of the ordi-
nary. The great serpent had been pet of the
| boy Pablo up to the day of the battle, but
certain occurrences had made him so ugly
that he would have fought whole forest
| full of tigers one after the other, If circum-
stances had given him a chance. Manuel
was to blame for all this, as he frankly
| acknowledged. His share of the blame be-
gan when he found the boa asleep many
miles down the same valley two years be-
fore. In moment of more than ordinary
paternal indulgence he had captured the
snake and brought it home on the back of a
burro as plaything for his son.
Pablo was delighted with his playthiDg
and would not give it up. For two years
thereafter that boa constructor was the
| greatest individual nuisance that the family
| of Manuel had known for many genera
| tons. Pablo kept him well fed with all the
| delicacies of tbs forest, and lie showed no in
clination to escape.
| 1t was late in the afternoon of hot day
| that Manuel walked softly down the path
that led to his camp. 1t was his habit to
walk softly at all times, but upon this occa-
| sion lie was creeping along with unusual
| stealthiness, for he had pretty clear idea
| a wall a nnn a NOT In n
short distance in front of him. At tine
| proper time he would attract the tigers
attention and offer him battle. Within a
few hundred yards of camp the hunter be-
| came aware, from some subtle animal in
stnct, that the tiger had
STOPPED IN THE PATH
| The hunter paused and lis tened. There
| was a rustling in the leaves and a stirring
in the underground that he did not quite
| understand. Undoubtedly the tiger had
| found something that attracted his atten-
| ton. The Tustllng ceased for a moment,
| but began again trifle more vigorously.
| Then came a low, muffied growl and a
thrashing among the leaves, as though the
| tiger was showing his teeth and swinging
| his tail from side to side.
The hunter crept forward like shadow
| At curve in the path lie stopped short. A
| strange thing was going on in the narrow
path IL few rods before him. A tiger was
pacing back and forth, with his tail waving
|
front of him lay Pablo's boa constructor
cooled ready for spring. The big snakes
eyes shone like diamonds in the sun, and
his tongue darted in and out like forked
lightning. His great coils were a-quiver
| with rage and fury.
What had stirred up these two wild crea-
lures TO pitch Of anger Manuel was unable
| to say. The snake had probably been in the
path about to seize some small animal when
| the tiger appeared and broke the SPELL The
Iuar N or hn nh of
| the chance to pass one side, but the snake
had only frightened its coils and stood its
ground with unmistakable signs of an
| aroused fighting disposition. This annoyed
the king OF the forest to such an extent that
he showed his teeth, growled and thrashed
his tail. II was at this instant that the hum
| ter came along the path and stopped
Neither the snake nor the tiger saw him,
| and he stepped quickly behind cactus bush
20 await his opportunity of being in at the
death.
1t very soon became apparent that there
| was to be a fight. Both creatures grew
more angry each moment and watching it
all with intense interest, the hunter smiled
as one might smile who noted the condi-
ton Of
A FAvoRITE GLADIATOR,
His half-savage blood thrilled at the thought
| of so splendid a combat No matter which
way the battle went he would have the skin
OF the tiger when all was over, and the
|
again trouble the little household in the
| blind gorge.
While Manuel thought these thoughts the
| two Wild things IN the path moved back and
forth, as though sparring for an opening
| The snake was alert with sulen ugliness
his glistening head darting here and there
! like flashes of light. The tiger was not SO
vindictlvely ugly. but his spotted hide quiy-
| cred with wave upon wave of rising anger
IL was plain that although the tiger was
| a H..
| tious. DE was not accustomed to fight with
snakes, and he probably knew we'll from
observation the nature of his enemy. The
snake alse seemed to realize very clearly
that he had provoked battle with dan
| gerous beast.
At length tie tiger, unable to restrain his
rage, leaped at the serpent's swaying head
like dazzle of light, but the snakes head
was not there. The tiger landed in the
| path on the other side of the snake. INIT oil.
most before he had touched the ground a
gllstening coil had been thrown over him.
lie gave thrilling cry, and leaped fully
dozen feet in the air. lie landed safe and
unharmed on his own side of the path, a
| little shaken up, perhaps but still full of
| good fighting blood. The snake was back
| in an instant, coiled ready for defense.
| The tiger crouehed in the path, as if about
| to spring. The snake quivered with nery-
| GUS preparation. The hunter caught his
breath in quick anticipation. This was the
| critical moment.
Furious beyond all control, the two wild
| creatures sprang upon each other in the
| same instant.
FOR A sCANT HALF SECOND
| There was poised in the air a yellow blur.
wrapped about with great glistening coils
like the trunk OF a small tree, and then
| snake and tiger rolled in the dust together.
1t was grand battle, and right nobly
| was it fought. The serpent's coils were
tightening about the tiger with strained,
on al va mn 70 4,
but the tigers long teeth and sharp claws
were buried deep in the serpent's neck and
| body. In that terrible embrace there could
| be no result other than death. The hunter
watched like one fascinated by some strange
| and awful sight. Never in his life had lie
seen such sight, perhaps never would he
| see it again.
Tighter drew the great coils; the tigers
| bones were cracking one by one. Deeper
sank the long teeth the serpent's life blood
| was forming in little pools in the dust. The
hunter was almost gasping with emotion, so
| strange. SO terrible was the tragic duel.
Conyulsiyely the fighters rolled in the
| path, but weaker and weaker grew their
| struggles. The end was coming. Perhaps
foreseeing it the tiger made one frantic,
desperate effort to free himself from the
deadly embrace, but the blood-streaked
coils, only frightened the more Then
the forest king again sank his teeth aud
claws into the serpent's neck and body.
He would die as he had lived. a thing of un-
shaken courage. The serpent in spasm
| OF pain and dying rage, tried once for all to
crush his enemy into shapeless mass, but
his flesh and muscles had been sadly torn
away, and his neck was breaking under the
tigers teeth. The hunter caught his breath
hard and stepped from the shelter of the
cactus bush. The end was at hand.
Death was glazing the eyes of the tiger:
the serpent's head fell helplessly to one
side. There was feeble struggle in the
shoulders OF the tiger. galvanc shudder in
tne me, COILS OF the serpent, and then all was