Waterbury evening Democrat., 1892-09-28
BEAST AND REPTILE.
A Titanic Contest Between Tiger
 and Constructor.
Terminated at Last by the Trusty Knife of au Interested Spectator-Thrilling Hunting Adventure in South
 American wnds.
Especial Panama (o. Al Letter.l

lSPSSl0l ShhlAh NNh FAJ ACNtSEsl
 Some months ago whilst journeyinR to the gold mining region of British Guiana, which is situated right in the very penetralia of the vast forests that stretch from the Cordilleran Andes to the Atlantic, l encountered one of the most singular experiences of life in the tropical wilderness that has ever been observed by explorer. had left the Sunday camp far behind me in the excitement of the chase after the infrequent game that a prolonged dry season was driving to the distant water courses, and suddenly came up on a very picturesque spot where, from all appearances, I had a right to ex- pect to find some game-and got it! But it is necessary that here describe the scene ere relating the singular ad- venture that followed. The trees, mo- where very dense in this locality, here stood widely apart, as though planted thus to leave clear space for cliffy little hill that rose right across the path I had been following and adown the fern and moss-covered face of which dashed a sparkling cascade in three graceful leaps. At the foot of the hill this fall formed wide basin that spread to the buttresses and tor tuous roots of a giant silk cotton tree whose wide-cast shade covered half the surface of the pool even at noon. From this lakelet tiny stream now, but probably great water course in the rainy season, went gurgling away over its pebbly bottom into the depths of the forest.
 Ere could well take in the view a superb deer came bounding out of the undergrowth, evidently under the influ- ence of extreme terror. As he sighted me he swerved, and my bullet brought him down with shattered shoulder. At the same instant the largest speci- men of the tiger family that had ever seen on this continent came tearing after, and flung himself on the pros trate animal, tearing and chewing the yet palpitating flesh with an eager fe- rocity that was sicl1ening to behold. This would never do. The poor brute had possibly been enduring a protracted fast, and would concede him the point of having beaten up the quarry; but what sportsman, let alone a half-fam- ished explorer, would stay to moralize over the legal rights of beast of prey? My argument was a distracting, if not an immediately conclusive one, for the bullet, instead of piercing his head, only plowed strip of flesh from his shoulder.
 As in answer to the first shot, had been conscious of rustling in the thick foliage above; it had now become tu- multuous, but ere I could glance up- ward to ascertain the cause the wound ed tiger launched itself at me. Stimuli taneously gigantic black body, sinu- ous as a cable and terminating in hid eous head, descended a yard or two be- fore my face. It was an anaconda, and the sight fairly paralyzed me with the hypnotic fascination of the evil-glow- ing eyes, and the dreadful suggestive ness of the yawning, slime-reeking fangs, to which may be added the fetid breath that came in hissing gasps from the writhing throat. Even as the rep tile swung down, however, the tiger came up and both met in mid airl A terrific blow on face and chest lifted me clear off my feet and hurled me back ward into the pool, to tE3 very bottom of whose fathom-deep basin I sank, much to the dismay of its fnny denizens.
 Not at all hurt and but temporarily demoralized by this rough experience, I speedily pulled myself together and anxiously glanced ashore to see how