The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-07-03
A DUEL IN A JUNGLE.
A Big Spotted Tiger and a Boa
Constructor Fight to the
Death.
Furious Beyond Control Both Wild
Animals Eagerly Spring to
Combat.
The Tigers Life Crushed Out and the Bon
Mangled SO Frightfnliy That
Death Ensued.

The Tigers Lille Crushed Out ana the ooN
Mangled SO Frightfully That
Death Ensued.
This is O story of a duel to the death be-
tween two wild creatures in tho remote for
ests of South America. The battle was
watched 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
one of the tributaries Of the Orinoco with
his wife and IA year-old son. From such
vague and uncertain ideas of direction and
distance as 1 could get from Manuel. l in
ferred that he was hunting on the head
waters of the Rio Meta, in the republic of
Colombia.
The hunters camp was in the valley where
two streams OF water came together. says n
writer in the New Pork recorder. Wild an
imals coming up the main valley or coming
down the two tributary valleys would nat
urally pass within a short distance of the
camp, especially as the camp itself was
carefully concealed in a blind gorge a little
distance back among the rocks. Eventually
the presence of the camp would be made
known Ito all the animals passing up and
down the valleys, but by the time that the
timid beasts had been frightened away the
camp would be moved to some new
location. The tigers were not at all fright
ened by the camp, but they would not stay
in a locality after their natural prey, the
timid animals, had Disappeared. So it was
that Manuel was forced to move his camp
from place to place several times in the
course of a half year.
The family very rarely remained away
from San Jose de Cucuta more than six
months at a time, and even then Manuel
sometimes made an extra trip or two for
the purpose of selling skins in the market
and buying provisions and clothing. Man
uel himself did all the hunting, as Pablo
was not yet old enough to face the spotted
king of the forest with the short spear.
Pablo hung about camp as a sort of pro-
tecter to his mother, although the ~self-re-
liant Indian woman needed very little pro-
lection other than her own fearless spirit.
II might be said that the boy was in course
of training for future days of tiger hunt
ing. He crept around after small game
from morning until night, practicing con-
tinually with the bow and arrow and short
spear. He now and then shot birds with
the long blowgun, although that strange
weapon was thought to be beneath the no.
tice of a tiger hunter. Occasionally a bird
thus slain was taken to market to be sold
for its brilliant plumage.
The duel was between a spotted tiger and
a boa constructor. Ordinarily these crea-
lures give little heed to each other. but in
this case the circumstances were a tride
out of the ordinary. The great serpent had
been a 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 a whole forest full of tigers one
after the other, if circumstances had given
him a chance. Manuel was to blame for
all this. as he frankly acknowledged. His
share of the blame began when he found
the boa asleep many miles down the same
valley two years before. In a moment of
more than ordinary paternal indulgence he
had captured the snake and brought it
homo on the back of a burro as a plaything
for his son.
Pablo was delighted with his plaything
and would not give it up. For two years
thereafter that boa constructor was the
greatest individual nuisance that the fam
lily of Manuel had known for many genera
tions. Pablo kept him we'll fed with all the
delioacies of the forest and he showed no
inclination to escape.
It was late in the afternoon of a 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 COCA
sion he was creeping along with unusual
~stealthiness, for he had a pretty clear idea
that a tiger was "; walking along the path a
proper time he would attract the tigers at
tention and offer him battle. Within a
few hundred yardsof camp the hunter be-
came aware, from some subtle animal in
stincs, that the tiger had stopped in the
path.
The brpkor o,,,oa ,,1 I;,4oo,l ul,..a
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 ~rustling ceased for a moment.
but began again a trifle more vigorously.
thrashing among the leaves, as though the
tiger were showing his teeth and swinging
his tail from side to side.
The hunter crept forward like a shadow.
At a curve in the gath he stopped short. A
strange thing was going On in the narrow
path a few 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 constructor,
coiled ready for q spring. The big snakes
eyes shone like diamonds in tho sun, and
his tongue da,ted in and out like forked
lightning. His great coils were all a culver
with rage and fury.
~ p"N VA SlSn-
lures to a pitch of anger Manuel was una
BILE to say. The snake had probably been
in the path about to seize soma small AMI
ma when the tiger appeared and broke the
spell. The tiger wanted the right of wav,
or at least q chance to pass to 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, prowled
and thrashed his tail. 1t was at This in
slant that the hunter came along the path
and stopped. Neither the snake nor the
tiger saw him and he stepred quickly be-
hind a cactus bush to 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 lntense interest, the hunter smiled
rs one might smile vino noted the condition
of a favorite gladiator. His half-savaee
blood thrilled at the thought of so splendid
a combat. In his mental survey of the sit
uation there was the quick satisfaction that
it was all gain to him. No matter which
way the battle vent he would have the skin
of the tiger when all was over, and the
chances were that the snake would never
again trouble the little household in the
blind gorge. Pablo would have his day of
grief, but that would pass away, and things
would then be IA they were in the begin
ming before this snake came from far dow
the hot valley.
While Manuel thought these thoughts the
two wild things in the path moved back and
forth. as though sparring for nm opening,
n kn Ea mac al ~ 4 T..