Waterbury evening Democrat., 1892-01-02
A BABY OR A TIGER.
Captain Paurs Night with a Saw
 age Wild Beast.

Mail line, was only twenty-four hours out from the Isthmus, but already four convivial spirits had formed a 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.
 It was eleven o'clock. A 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 ly, hardly ripple could be seen on the moon-frosted water, and the Colon forged ahead as if crossing a pond, throwing aside a phoSphorescent spray and kicking up swirl of fire with her propeller as she knocked off fourteen knots an hour.
 It 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 Devine, a civil engineer, who had been working along the line of the Oroya railroad in Peru, had been tell 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 wild animal except one small tiger, and that far in the interior. As he mentioned this, one of the party was noticed to draw back and shudder as if cold.
 What is it, captain? Let's have the story," said an American consul, who was going home on leave. "I'l warrant there's something rather in- teresting if you would tell it"
 "Yes, let's hear ity' chimed in the other two.
 Capt. Paul lighted a second long, black cheroot and replied: "Well, it's a curious yarn, and I sometimes wonder whether I really passed through it all or not, but when it seems only dream to me all have to do is to look into my trunk. There is something there that is vivid re- hinder of the night that I will tell you about, and that something I will show you in the morning.
 "Of course, gentlemen, you know that Mrs. Paul accompanies me, but I don't suppose you have noticed my three-year-old son who is cared for by a Peruvian nurse."
 "I have," remarked the consul, and a sturdy-looking little fellow he is"
 When the lad was ten-months-old baby" continued the captain, 'I was ordered to Guayaquil, Ecuador As you probably know, have been represent ing marine underwriters in South America, having been sent there to pre- vent agents for damaged ships making too extensive repairs at our expense. I had been sent by my employers to superintend work on a steamer which had sunk in the Guayaquil river at that point.
 Tt meant a four months stay at that hot little town sixty miles from the sea coast, and so at once rented a little furnished house two miles from the city and installed my wife, baby and servant there. I bought good horse and rode back and forth every morning and evening. It was hot and mosquitoes were plenty, to say nothing about fleas, but our little place was so light and open that it caught any breeze that might be going, and life was not half bad there. The house
 
 the ground floor, but they were sutfi- cient 1 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 I had been detained in town, and it was nearly midnight when I mounted my horse to return, for there had been a survey held that day on the steamer, which by this time had been raised, and waited to hear the report. The night was a perfect one, much like this l had moonlight to cheer my way until near home, but the last rays came over the hill as I rode past the house, and they just showed me that the front door was half open. I must have those doors closed at night thought I, as I rode into the stable, and taking off Toms saddle I threw him some hay and walked back to the cottage.
 You all are aware how carefully man walks when he enters a house where a year-old baby is. Indeed, it is self-prcservation in many cases. And in this instance I did what many a father has done before me. took off my shoes on the doorstep. My room was the first one off the hall and I en- tered it on tiptoe and stole alongside the bed. There was a peculiar little whcezing noise coming from one side of the bed. It was pitch dark in the room, but knew that the baby was there. At first thought would go into my wife's room in the front of the house, but as I slowly undressed argued that her placing the baby in my bed proved that she had had pret- ty pad evening, so decided to crawl in beside the youngster and not dis turb the mother. I undressed noise lessly, and, donning my nightgown, lay down on the opposite side of the bed from the baby. As the night was warm l dld not pull even the sheet over