The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1892-01-22
A BABY OR A TIGER.
Captain PauPs Night with a Saw
age Wild Beast.

The steamship Colon, of the Pacific
Mail line. was only twenty-four hours
ont from the Isthmus, but already four
convivial spirits had formed 4 friend
ship, and were seated in the smoking
room talking of the business and
pleasure that marked their years of
life in different countries of South
America. for all had come from points
below the equator.
1t was eleven o'clock. 4 quiet little
poker game had passed time for awhile,
but the cards had lain untouched on the
table for an hour. The night was love
". hardly a ripple could bc seen on the
moon-froSted water, and the Colon
forged ahead a. If crossing a pond.
throwing aside phoSphorcScent spray
and kicking mp a swirl of fire with her
propeller as She knocked of fourteen
knots an hour.
1t was the perfect night that had in
duced the four occupants of the smoker
to leave their cards and sit beside the
large door. where they could look over
the vessels rail and at the same time
converse together
John Dcvinc. a civil engineer, who
had been working along the line of th.-
Orova railroad in i',ru. had been t"ll-
ing about the marvellous construction
of this roadway. and incidentally had
remarked that during all the time he
spent in South America he had not
seen Il wild animal except one small
tiger, and that far in the intrrior. As
he mentioned this. one of tn" party
was noticed To draw back and shuddcr
as if cod.
What il it, captain? Let's have the
story said an American consul. who
was going home on leave I'm
warrant there's something rather in
tere,ting if you would tell il"
..Ycs, let's hear it, chimcd in the
other two.
Capt. Paul lighted second long.
black chcroot anI replied; We'll. its
4 curious yarn. and l sometimes
wonder whether l really passed
through il all or not, but when IL
seems only q dream to me all have to
do is to look into my trunk There is
something there that is vivid re-
minder of the night that will tell you
abont, and that something 1 Will show
you in the morning
'-Of course, gentlemen, You know
that Mrs. Paul accompanies me, hut !
don't suppose you have noticed MY
thrcc-ycar-old son who is cared for by
Peruvian nurse"
Il have remarked the consul. ''and
a sturdy-looking little fellow he is
when the lad was ten-months-old
baby" continued the captain. II was
ordered to Guayaquil, Ecuador. As you
probably know, l have been represent
ing marine underwriters in South
America. having been sent there to pre-
vent agents for damaged ships making
had been sent by my employers to
supcrintcnd work on a steamer which
had sunk in the Guayaquil river AT
that point
lit meant a four months stay ut
that hot little town sixty miles from
the sea coast, and so l at once rented Il
little furnished house two miles from
the city and installed my wife, baby
and servant there. / bought good
horse and rode back ana forth every
morning and evening. II was hot and
mosquitoes were plenty. to say nothing
about ficas. but our little place was 20
light and open that it caught any
breeze that might be going. and life
was not half bad there The house
had only SIN rooms, and all We're on
the ground floor, but they were suili-
cicnt- l frequently told Mrs Paul
that it was dangerous to leave any of
the doors ajar at night. for although
burglars are not to be feared in Ecua-
dor. yet animals once in awhile came
out of the jungle, and they had been
seen near the city. But as time passed
and the nights became warmer we both
grew careless
''One day / had been detained in
town. and it was nearly midnight when
/ mounted my horse to return, for
there had been survey held that day
on the steamer. which 10y this time had
been raised, and | waited to hear the
report. The night was perfect one,
much like this. had moonlight To
cheer my way until near home, hut the
last rays came over the hill a. | rode
past the house, and they just showed
me that the front door was half open.
1 must have those doors closed at
night. thought /. as ! rode into the
stable, and taking off Toms saddle |
threw him some hay and walked back
to the cottage
''1ou all arc aware how carefully n
man walks when he enters Il house
where ycar-old baby is Indeed, it is
sclf-prcscrvation in many eases And
in this instance | did what many Il
father has done before me | took off
my shoes on the door 'tcp- My room
was The first one off the hall and | en-
tered il On tiptoe and stole alongside
the bed. There was a peculiar little
Wheeling noise coming from one side
of the bed II was pitch dark in the
room, but knew that the baby was
there. At first | thought l would go
into my wifc's room in the front of the
house, but as | slowly undrcsscd
argued that her placing the baby in
my bed proved that she had had pret-
ty Dad evening. so decided to crawl
in beside the youngster and not dis
turb the mother | undressed noise
lcssly, and dOnning my nightgown, lay
down on the opposite side of the bed
from the baby. As the night was
warm did not pull even the sheet over
me. Buster still kept up loud breath
ing. but it didn't disturb me, though as
| fell asleep / remember thinking that
he seemed more snufily than usual
''Ugh"' \ weight had fallen across
my chest. / didn't make this c.clama-
ton aloud l had been in training as q
pater- familias too long for that. Half
awake, | realized that Buster had
thrown himself across my body. |
slowly pulled one arm out, then took
hold of him gently to lift him off with
out awakening him. Strange how
long and hairy Busters head il,
thought l.
.'Dld you ever read Alice in Wonder
land?
We'll, had much the same sensa-
tions as are described in that book,
for, as / slowly passed my hand along
my baby's head, ii seemed "a if ii was
drawn out for yards At last ! reached
the end What teeth he has thought |.
Just then the teeth curled them
selves up
Whether IL w;ts that motion or not