Waterbury evening Democrat., 1892-10-10
A MExICAN's REVENGE.
Adventure with 8 Man-Eathlg
 Tree in Central America.
Experience of Two Hunters Who Were Lured Into 8 Treacherous Trap Assistance Comes to Them in
 Time to Save Their Lives.

Assistance Comes to Them in Time to Save Their Lives. have spent, in all, three years in Central America. I went there with a surveying party which was running the line of projected railroad, one of those railroads which are built on paper alone. It has never yet mate rialized. While the line was being run I made the acquaintance of an American citizen who was the owner of large coffee plantation, and he in- vited me to spend some time with him. l accepted, and in little while a mu- tual friendship sprang up between us. The result was that before the time came for my departure he told he that it was necessary for him to pay a visit to his old home in Ohio with his wife, | to settle up ome legal business, and he had been trying to find some one who could take charge of his plantation during his absence. He urged me to take tn e position, and l accepted. An other week found me at the head of one of the finest coffee plantations In Nicaragua.
 My duties were light enough. Bland had a competent general manager, and about all that had to do was to act as the power behind the throne in the masters absence. I had but one diff ficulty during this time. The manager, | a Cuban named Carlinos, was popular with the laborers, and all went smooth iy until one day a Mexican, Michael Ferrara, positively refused to obey some order that Carlinos had given him, and Carlinos appealed to me. Upon investigation I calmly told the Mexican either to obey orders or to leave the place. With a sidelong scowl at Carlinos and myself he did what the manager had commanded, and the storm seemed to have blown over, but did not feel quite confident about it. The Mexican's look troubled me and mentioned it to Carlinos, but he treated the matter lightly and was inclined to l be scornful in regard to Ferrara. 'He is a coward" he said, shrugging his | shoulders, and so dismissed the matter. let the subject drop, ashamed of seeming afraid of a man whom this slender Cuban regarded with such dis dain, and yet could have sworn that when walked that night, startled at some slight noise on the terrace out side my window, it was Ferrara's dark face 1 saw in the moonlight peering in | at me- In an instant it was gone, and 1 was out of the room, running along the terrace, searching here and there. But no, though l gave the terrace thorough search, and even went around to the end of the house and the grove of banana trees beyond, l saw nothing moving anywhere save an owl that fitted out of the trees. I went back to my room concluding that I had dreamed the whole affair.
 The next morning felt quite sure of it. l met Ferrara several times in the course of the day, and he was especial ly pleasant He was better educated than the majority of his class, and his position on the plantation gave him a kind of precedence over the others. l was near him several times before the day was over, and I noticed that on each occasion he took pains to speak pleasantly and greet me with his most courteous smile. l thought he was sorry for the bad temper he had shown the day before. didn't know him as well then as do now.
 The next day Carlinos and I had de- cided upon hunt in the mountains that made a jagged outline against the sky off to the south. While we were I K dition for use, Fcrrara approached and said in his smoothest tones:
 If the senors went to the valley, down beyond the Contadino pass. they
 would find where a great panther roams, and has been seen many times. I myself saw it but two days ago, but
 I was unarmed, so l put spurs to my horse and galloped away"
 Cnr1iDOS turned f0 me with n look O1 interest. ''That's a good idea," he said.
 "Well look for the panther first, and
 if we fail to find him we can try the ? mountains"
 , We were about to turn away when : Terrara stopped us, with many apol- D ogies. Beyond the Contadino pass, 5 he said, you will find narrow trail : leading off eastward down the valley. s Follow that trail half mile, until you }, see huge white cliff, hundred yards '. to the right. At the foot of that cliff e the panther has been seen again and " again. Adios, senors"
 t And so Carlinos and I went walking d off, with swinging stride, toward the 1T pass, glad of day in the woods, anc g ready for any adventure that came
 along
 = Except the one that actually dit . come. For within the next hour we \ passed through the most horrible ex \ perience that ever fell to the lot of nor
 tals I am sure.
 We found the pass-a mere gap il .s .he mountains, not used for travel, al
 mother pass, a few miles furthe
 south, furnished the nearest road t.
 the town. The pass was strewn witt
 rough powders and jagged masses O
 rock, difficult to make one's way over
 and for half an hour we had all the ex
 ercise we needed in clim ping over an
 around these Instructions. At last
 however, we were clear of them, an :" we shouldered our guns again after :. brief rest, and went on until we foun o the trail among the bushes It wa
 such path as would be made by COW