The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1891-08-22

We 0du IAN uOWH Oenedtn the
shade Of a elanp Of vine-clad cypress
and rahi-trees to sleep away the hot
noontide hours, and discovered, only on
awaking, that TON Grant, a never
firing ensomologist, had disappeared.
but had it not been for Biake's warn
ing words, lone ef Is would have felt
the least miseiving as to his safety.
Now, however, all were anxious to
start out at once on the search; and
extending ourselves into a line, with
an interval of about fifty yards be-
tween each two men, We set off up
stream, knowing that ohr eomrade
must have taken that route, as the
rivers junction lay immediately be-
low Us.
Every now and then as wc pushed
labcrionsly along through the Utmost
impene.rable WOODS, one or another
Of us discharged a signal shot, in hope
Of hearing an answering halloo: but the
only effect of u fire vas to scare
from their hiding-places or TO drive to
deeper cover hundreds of screaming
parrots, clIattering monkeys and the
thousand and ono flying and creeping
deniZens of the forest wilds.
No human voice responded TO our
summons. and vet we felt assured of
being on the right trail, for three e v
eral times we had found half-burnt
matches. and once had picked up a
fragment of drawing paper which we
knew to be Toms. We had spent fully
two hours in going, perhaps, as many
miles, a1d not having lately come
across further signs of out friend,
Charlie Blake gave it as his opinion
that, IL still alive, he had lost himself
and was probably wandering in a circle
somewhere in the labyrinthine depths,
where the sun, his only guide, could not
penetrate.
And, boys" he concluded, ''if we
do not find him before nightfall
we shall never again sec him III this
world"
1t was now past four o'clock. and al
ready the gloom about us was sensibly
deepening, and providing beasts of
prey began occasionally to cross our
path. Joe Burke KIN ,cked over a stink
ing wolf, and Frank Austin brought
down a wildcat from the top of a lofty
rum; but neither of these shots brought
hail or shout from our absent friend.
We were still advancing in a toler.
ably straight line, always keeping
within speaking distance of each other,
when suddenly we broke out OF the
dark forest into a large, treelcss ava
ma, where the sun shone gloriously and
the rank grass was breast high. I'm
mediately on reaching this, Hugh Kim
ball called out:
81 say, boys. something has passed
along here not long ago. Look at this
narrow path where the grass has been
parted"
We all hurried to the spot, and Blake
at once said:
We're on Toms track. sure enough,
You see the trail is widest ut top,
whereas il made by a wild beast crawl
ing along, 1t would be widest at the
bottom"
We nov fired three shots in rapid
succession, and, after waiting a mo-
ment, were about to shoot again, when
Austin held up his hand with n
"Whisht."' and each one strained his
ears to listen. Yes; there was no mis-
taking it; far away from toward the
declining sun came a faint halloo, once,
twice, thrice repeated. and five lusty
threats sent up cheer after cheer as we
realized the joyful fact that our com
rade was indeed found.
Dashing along, now wading, tearing,
scrambling through the long, wiry
stems as best we could, we made our
way for u half-mile, seeing nothing as
yet, but ever more distinctly hearing
the same ''Halloo. Halloo, Halloo!" al
ways promptly answered by IL own
encouraging shouts. At las: we caught
of a broad sombrero and the
shoulders of n man above the tall herb
age, backing slowly toward us.
Hush, boys. hushs cautioned Charlie
Blake, there's something unusual
here" and, being now within easy
speaking distance, he softly hailed
and asked: What is up, Tom
The young fellow never turned his
head, but while his right arm seemed
to be gently moving up and down, and
strange, flashing. dazzling CLEANS of
binding light played fitfully beyond
him, answered in a curiously restrained
voice:
"Boys, there's a laundering big
jaguar following me up, not twenty
feet away. I've been standing him off
for the last half-hour by flashing the
rays from my pocket-mirror in his eyes,
but he's getting used to the game now,
and you've got here Just in time. Don't
let us lose him, One of you come slow
ly up straight behind me, and the other
four sweep around and get in real Of
the brute, but don't waste q moment,
for he begins to look mighty ugly"
As We heard Toms startling explana-
ton, a thrill of hardly repressed ex-
citement ran through the little party.
Frank Austin, carrying his own and
his chum's rifle. advanced cautiously
toward him, and the rest of us made a
and crept, silently as possible,
through the grass until we reached a
point directly in line with the actors in
singular drama. Then we rose to
our feet, and. peering over the top of
the rank growth, saw a most curious
indeed. Crouching low on his
belly and creeping stealthily along lay
a full-grown and beautifully spotted
jaguar, while. a few yards beyond him,
Tom, gradually backing away, held be-