Waterbury evening Democrat., 1892-10-10

ly, and held his gun in position to use it, if necessary. And just then the cliff that Ferrara had described caIne into view, about a hundred yards away. and we turned off from the path toward this place in which the panther had been so often seen. '
 Scarcely had we started in that di- rection when we were startled by the long, fierce scream of the panther itself. As nearly as we could judge it was at that very moment at the base of the cliff. We stopped involuntarily at the sound, and then went stealing down the slope, with eyes watchful and nerves stretched to the utmost. Yet we went on and on, without seeing it and suddenly found ourselves almost at the base of the cliff, which had been hidden by the thick and tangled brush through which we had passed. Then we stopped and looked around, peering here and there through the bushes. It was easy to see that the spot of ground on which we stood had been the haunt of some wild animal, for all about us bones lay bleaching on the ground. But nothing was to be seen. The face of the cliff, up to a height of twelve or fifteen feet, was covered with the matted tendrils of a dead vine, apparently. It suddenly oc- cured to me that the panther's den might be back under the cliff, hidden by the vine, and was about to investi- gate when just behind us, not ten feet away, sounded the horrible scream of l the panther.
 Both of us whirled, and Car limos stepped back little. In the moment of | confusion failed to notice him, but in an instant he gave heart-rending cry: Help! help! quick, the tree! The | man-eating tree"
 Never will forget that cry, nor the | sight that met my eyes. In stepping back he had stumbled against the dead vine, as had thought it. And then in | moment every tendril had become in- | stinct with life, and was twisting and ! writhing about him with the most hor- ribly snake-like motions, matted around his body and legs, holding his arms | tight and drawn across his face and | clasped about his throat. Already | when looked around he was helpless. During the single moment while stood | there looking at him motionless with horror his face had begun to turn pur- pie. And then all at once l recovered I d ing knife from my belt began cutting and slashing at the horrible, writhing tendrils in the effort to cut their victim loose.
 l But before had made three strokes something caught my arm and held it; then something crawled swiftly about my neck, and then there were others around my hands, over my head, across l rou ok 0noo xroS seized and held, while wherever the snaky monsters touched went fierce pains, as though my flesh were being torn from my body. I felt my con- sciousness slipping away; but as it was | going suddenly the dark face of Fer rara peered out of the bushes in front of me, and he cried out with mocking laughter:
 II hope you enjoy yourselves, senors-
 The panther is not far away. believe
 mel Only wait for him until he comes.
 Adiosl Adiosr'
 | The shock Of anger reused me little
 in the midst of my racking torture,
 and I saw Farrara turn to go away;
 but all at once, amid a chorus of lnale-
 dictions, dozen hands seized him and
 pinioned him down, and we were sur
 rounded by a crowd of laborers from
 the plantation. With long knives they
 cut and hacked at the limbs that were
 sucking the blood from our veins, and
 in few moments they had %us free.
 How they got us home I never knew.
 It was not until the next day that I re-
 covered consciousness, and l was un-
 able to turn in my bed even, for two | weeks. The excoriationS on my face
 and hands left painful wounds, which
 were a long time in healing, and which
 made dreadful scars. These have all
 gone, however, except the one on my
 neck, which resembles the scar left by
 a centipede.
 As for Carlinos, he lay as if dead for
 several days, and there were times
 when he was pronounced really dead.
 Then he went off into fever and deliri.
 um, and it seemed that he could not
 possibly recover. After awhile,
 though, he did struggle back into life,
 but his health was wrecked, and he
 was never again able to walk as much
 as hundred yards.
 How did we happen to be rescued?
 Why, some of Ferrara's fellow serv ants had heard his muttered impreca tions against us, and, when we had gone
 and they saw him sneak away after us they held a consultation and decided tc follow. I have always believed tha
 Ferrara circled around us, got in ahead and initiated the cry of the panther
 himself to lure us on. have never been able to find out, however. WheI l had regained strength enough to fee some little curiosity, and asked one O our recusers what they had done witt Ferrara, he answered with the utmos ! unconcern:
 : We gave him to the man-eating tree : senor!''
 , A Broken Thread.