The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1893-10-05

charges of buckshot INTO 1t. Perhaps
we can scare the tiger out"
"All right" said |. Try it; but re-
serve one barrel each, in case the
brute does make rush and I should
miss him"
The men discharged their two shots
point blgnk in the caves mouth, but,
save swiftly, returning echo, no re
suit followed.
After the empty barrels had been
hastily reloaded Antonio asked: "Have
you any paper about you senor?"
Wondering what the man meant, /
replied: Yes; here's a copy of the
London Times, I brought it along to
read while resting. What on earth
do you want it for?"
"Tm going ID there coolly rejoined
Antonio, land I'll light the paper to
protect myself and drive the tiger out
| fairly gasped for astonishment'
Nonsense, nonsense, man. exclalm
ed. "Tne risk is too great. The beast
may strike you down before you can
make a blaze" Antonio insisted up
on having his way, however, saying
there was no danger, half convinced
by his earnestness, I at last said
ell if you will go, leave your gun
here and take my revolver. It will be
more convenient to handle in that
narrow place"
The brave fellow now took off his
hat, buckled the revolver belt about
his waist, climbed upon the ledge an q
entered the hole; while, we, with
poised weapons, stood expectant,
For perhaps fifteen seconds all was
silent. Then We saw the dim rehec-
ton Of light, and next instant heard
snarling roar, followed by the muf
fled report of the pistol and an agon-
lied human cry. But before we could
stir, an enormous male jaguar, bleed
ing from a wound in his neck, dashed
out of the den, and close upon his
heels came his mate and two quarter
grown cubs. We had routed out a
whole family Of jaguars.
On emerging into the open air the
fierce creatures seemingly blinded by
the glaring sunlight stood motionless
for one moment on the ledge, evident
ly not having seen US.
Take the female, JUAN I sh outed,
as threw up my rife and sent a hui
let crashing through the brain of the
male The brute fell as if struck by
lightning; but Juan unnerved by his
comrades cry, missed the tigress en-.
tirelv; and while the smoke of the
two discharges foated before our eyes,
she sprang from the ledge and di8ap-
peared.
Then Juan steadying himself, delib-
arately killed one of the cubs with his
remaining barrel, and picking up a
second gun despatched the other also.
Rushing toward the low shelf of
rock we We're about to Chamber on it,
when off to my comrades left there
resounded a screeching yell, and out
from behind the boulder dashed the
enraged ''tigress," looking, with her
brlstllng back and flaming eyes, like
very fiend. One great bound brought
her within ten feet Of Juan, who
hurriedly raised his gun and pulled
the trigger. But the hammer fell
harmiessly upon the nipple, this, his
only loaded barrel, not having been
capped. The jaguar, wild with fury
at the loss Of her cubs, crouched for
spring.
Fortunately the magazine Of my
rifle still contained a number Of cart
ridges, and reaching across Juan's
shoulder, took a quick aim and shot
the brute between the eyes as she was
in the very act OF rising.
The saints be praised" gasped
Juan, whose swarthy face had turned
a sickly white with fear-as well it
might-when his gun missed fire.
The good fellow was all right again
in a moment, however, and we then
got up on the ledge and crawled, one
after the other, into the hole, which
was found to be a crooked passage,
about twenty five feet long, term i
mating in a roomy chamber.
Striking a match. we saw Antonio
lying senseless on the bone Uttered
floor. On dragging him out to open
air, we found that he had received
terrible blow on the shoulder from the
jaguar's claws. The flesh was badly
bruised and lacerated, but no bones
were broken, and the man soon revived
He then told us that none of the I'M
seen occupants of the cave had made
a movement, or sound, until in the
far end of the tunnel, he had lighted
his paper. Then the male iaguar
had dashed at him, Or rather at the
passage. Turning his pistol upward,
he had fired a random shot and then
knew no more.
Until recovering consciousness and
seeing the four lifeless bodies. he had
no idea that the cave contained more
than one tiger" though from the
position in which he lay, all the crea
lures must have gone over his pros
trate form IN their escape.
After Juan and l had removed the
pelts of our game-those of the two
old animals being beautifully marked
with disk like spots-we returned in
triumph to camp, and thereafter ex-
perienced no further loss of stock in
that locality. w. Thomson.
Copyright.
ONE ON BOURkE COCHRAN.
Bourke Cochran of New York is a