The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1891-07-23

witness. ne Dattle was watCneQ from
beginning to end by Manuel, the tiger
hunter, and in its closing state by
Manuel's son, Pablo. At this time
Manuel was living in the far mountain
Businesses of one of the tributaries of
the Orinoco, with his wife and four
teen-year-old son. From such vague
and uncertain ideas of direction and
distance as l could get from Manuel,
l inferred that he was hunting on the
headwaters of the Rio Meta, in the
republic of Colombia. The duel was
between spotted tiger and boa con-
strictor. Ordinarily these creatures
give little heed to each other, but in
this case the circumstances were trifle
out of the ordinary. The great ser
pent 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 nave fought whole
forest full of tigers one after the other
if circumstances had given him 9
chance. Manuel was to blame tor all
this, as he frankly acknowledged. His
share OF the blame began when he
found the boa asleep many miles dowr
the same valley two years before. In
a moment of more than ordinary pa
ternal indulgence he had captured th'
snake and brought it home on the
back of burro as plaything for hi:
lson.
! Pablo was delighted with his ODD
plaything and would not gize it up
For tmo years thereafter that boa con.
strictor was the greatest individual
nuisance that the family of Manuel
had known for many generations
Pablo kept him we'll fed with all th'
delicacies of the forest and he showet
no inclination to escape.
1t was late in the afternoon of ho
day that Manuel walked softly dow
the path that led to his camp. 1t wa
his habit to walk softly at all times
but upon this occasion he was creeping
along with unusual stealthiness, for hi
, had a pretty clear idea that tige
: was walking along the path shor
distance in front of him. At the prope
time he would attract the tigers at
!, tention and offer him battle. Within
: a few hundred yards of camp tn
hunter became aware, from some sub
' tie animal instinct, that the tiger had
stopped in the path.
> The hunter paused and listened
!, There was rustling in the leaves ant
=. stirring in the underground that h
did not quite understand. Undoubt
y edly the tiger had found something
!, that attr acted his attention. The rus
tling ceasad for moment, but bega
again trifle more vigorously. The
came low mufled growl and thrash
. ing among the leaves, as though the tige
were showing his teeth and swingin
.. his tail from side to side.
The hunter crept forward like :
shadow. At curve in the path h
,. stopped short. A strange thing wa
going on in the narrow path fey
rods before him. A tiger was pacing
back and forth, with his tail waving
:, :, and his hair bristling in sudden anger
= +. In front OF him lay Pablo's boa con
y strictor, coiled ready for spring. Th
! big shakes eyes shone like diamond
in the sun, and his tongue darted il
3 and out like forked lightning. Hi
,. great coils were all a-quiver with rag
and fury.
What had stirred up these two will
! creatures to pitch of anger Manue
7 was unable to say. The snake ha
!, probably been in the path about t
seize some small animal when tn
tiger appeared md broke the spell
The tiger wanted ra.>ssss;aaht of way, G
= at least a chance to pass to one side
but the snake had only frightened il
coils and stood its ground with ur
mistakable signs of an aroused fghtin
;, disposition. This annoyed the kin
:. of the forest to such an extent that h
:, showed his teeth, growled and thrashe
= his tail. 1t was at this instant tina
the hunter came along the path an
stopped. Neither the snake nor tige
saw him, and he stepped quickly bt
hind cactus bush to await his oppol
tunity of being in at the death.