Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1893-12-01
SAVED BY A SPLINTER.
Only n Few Seconds of Waiting, but Every
One Was Torture.

One Was Torture.
1t being too hot to move about in the aft
ernoon, l had the natives sling my ham,
mock between two small trees about 80
PAGES from the tent. In this position got
the full shade of large tree to the south
and was far enough away from the chatter
ing natives to rest undisturbed by their
their voices : fell asleep ut about = O'Clock,
and my awakening two hours later was q
very quick one l was lying on my right
side, facing the big tree and looking into
the forest beyond. The first big limb on
the tree was about Is feet from the ground
and branched to the east. The trunk of the
tree, as we afterward aScertained, was ex-
actly 81 feet from my hammock, while the
limb was a foot further. l did not awake
with start nor did l rub my eyes and
yawn. l simply opened my eyes as If l had
shut them only minute before, and found
myself looking at the limb l have spoken
of. My vision was focused on n spot about
six feet from the trunk, and though was
gazing in a dreamy way l felt sudden
thrill. In the semidarkness l caught sight
of two fiery eyes and made out the form of
a wild beast crouched along the limb.
The wonder is that | did not start up
with a shout to the natives, but far as
can remember | could not move hand or
foot. 1t was sor: of nightmare which
held my limbs and yet l was wide awake
and had all my senses but that of feeling
The natives had gone down to the river to
fish, leaving the camp quite alone, and
aside from the hum of insects and the oc-
casional note OF bird the neighborhood
was as quiet as if nothing lived. While
did not move finger the beast saw my
eyes open and raised his head. | realized in
a flash that it was panther, and that
was the game he was after, Providing
through the jungle, he had got my scent
and followed it up. As the hammock was
not over two feet from the ground he could
have crept up aud picked me out of it, but
he was probably bit puzzled over the
article. He had climbed the tree to get a
view from above, and 70 seconds after got
my eyes on him l knew that he meant
attack me Had | suddenly sat up and
flung my arms about and shouted he would
probably have made of, but l could not
have moved II finger if n dozen lives de-
pended on it,
Its 4 male panther and a large one" |
unused rs got the outlines of his form. A
panther is capable of making prodigiouS
leap, but doubt if he can cover that dis
tance. As the limb is parallel with the
hammock he lahors under disadvantage
in making his spring. He will try it,
though. His ears are lying fiat, his tail
moving, and his lip has fallen down till his
yellow fangs are plain to view If he had
a run of 10 feet along that limb, he could
clear the hammock. but as it is he must
leap sideways. Hear his claws tearing the
bark. See how the red in his eyes changes
to green and glints like a diamond in the
glare of the sun! If l could set the ham
mock swinging, it might brighten him, but
cannot move n muscle. All He's NOV
ing farther ont TO get an advantage, but he
does not find il. Every inch has got to he
figured on in the spring he will make. He
/ backs up to his original position and snnrls
and splits like an angry cat. He's working
up his nerve to make the spring
/ Hank! There's Il movement i'll the thick
| etl 1t cant be one of the natives, and no
| party of hunters would approach from that
| direction The panther tlattens himself
down on the limb and looks down and
! growlS \ minute later he snarls and
| splits, and l hear the "Woof.' of a hyena
! as he trots away. For half ii minute the
beast on the limb seems to be sizing me up.
| He has never seen man lying in ham,
mock before, but he's sure it man. liv-
ing or dead. He'll come in the next few
seconds.
l hear the sound of his claws rs they
| take Il firm hold, and there is a movement
/ to his shoulders which cannot be mist ken.
| He gives his tail three or four angry tlirts,
/ shakes his head as if annoyed by flies and
1 then see a great ball in the air between
me and the limb. 1t is coming straight at
me, and with yell come to a sitting pos
! ture just in time to see the panther strike
the earth. He comes down just six feet
short, sinks deep into the alluvial, and
turns end over end past the head of the
hammock into the bushes. His movements
are so swift that the eye can hardly follow
! them, and he has disappeared while l yet
I seem TO see him ending over There l sat
! and he had only TO come and eat me, but
he did not return.
/ With snarlS and roarS he charged right
through the camp 1t the natives returning
from the river. He was upon them befor,
, they got the alarm, and without seeming
I to pause for an instant he bit one nnC
| clawed two others savagely that theI
were laid up for weeks. While we wer
measuring the panther's leap, one of thu
natives assembled the tree to the limb to in
spect it. 1t was not a sound limb anC
just where the animal had placed his hinC
feet great splinter had been torn away.
Give him due credit, sahib, said tn
man as he brought the splinter. If TIL
wood had not given way when he made hi
leap, he would have struck you. The pan
Their is sharper than the tiger. He neve
leaps until he has got the distance. Be
sides, found by the marks on the liml
that he had sore foot. probably from
thorn, and he could not do his best. Civ
him another chance, sahih, before YOU sent
him away il contempt" NJ. QrAp.