Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1894-07-12
SAVED BY A SHAWL.
Inc Adventure of Honduras Woman
with a Jaguar.

1he Adventure Of Honduras Woman
with Jaguar. ......
tofeSt and Stream: IF She woiIId
my wife could tell a story about that
tiger skin rug on the floor and about
the skin of its kitten, that covers the
back OF her chair; but as she will not
tell 1t L may as WE'LL" said our host
as we seated ourselves in the sala,
where the neVer-failing breeze from
the sparkling caribbean drew fresh
through open doors and windows. and
the music OF the surf on the sandy
Shore rose and fell in soft cadences.
we had tired OF the monotony OF
diet OF cassava and cocoS, of beef.
OF bananas, poultry and peccary, of
turtle eggs and tarpOn, with nothing
out oranges and pineapples, manages,
and maranOneS for deSSert-the things
we have to live on here, you know,
most OF the time. So l asked her to
go with me duck hunting one morn
ing.
we padded to where the bayou
Widened into a little lake, and saw a
flock OF muscoyies feeding among the
pond lines and water peoples on the
further side. Wife stepped ashore
where there was a little clearing and
padded away to steal near enough
Tor good shot at the ducks The
sunshine fell on her as [ went, and
L saw her take the bright red shawl
from her shoulders and fold it care
fully and hang it over her arm Then
a bunch of fuschia bushes on the
point hid her from me-
Il had put my paddle down and
reached for my gun, when I heard
Anna scream. Of course, | turned and
padded for dear life, and / felt like
heaplng abuses on the man who In
vented so clumsy, so loggy a device
as dugout.
when L rounded the point | saw
Anna standing on the edge of the
water, staring intently at the bushes,
while she beckOned me.
"'What is it?' I shouted; what ia
the matter?
Its a tiger she answered; it's
a big tiger >
That was matter enough, and [
dug the paddle down into the water
and pulled for the shore. The instant
the pitpan grounded on the sand I
had my gun in hand and sprang
ashore
Where is he-where is the bruteY"
1 gasped.
1t was right here where my
shawl lies. [ scared it away. When
it crept up to me [ threw my shawl
in it's face and it ran away
Il picked up her shawl and took a
look at the sign. 1t was plain enough,
for the imprints Of claws showed
clearly in the sand. We pushed off
from the shore and padded for the
mouth of the bayou.
81 stood there watching you until
the bushes hid you from me- said my
wife. I was wishing that had asked
you to pick a lot Of those white pond
lilies and water poppies after you
had shot the ducks. Then [ heard a
ruStling III the grass behind me- and
turned around quickly, for [ thought
there might be a man there or a
waree, or something savage behind
me, and there was that tiger not four
yards from me-
But for heavens sake. what did
the tiger do?
oh, yes, forgot the tiger. L just
screamed as loud as | could and threw
my shawl into it's face. Then it
turned away, and [ screamed again.
1t ran into the bushes then; but l
was afraid it would come back"
How inconsiderate women can be-"
murmured the captain. THE tigers
nerves must have been unstrung by
such treatment"
well, her nerves were unStrung
before night, anyway" replied Burch,
''for when 1 had seen my wife safe
in the house l got the best Of our
Waika hunters and the best tiger dogs
in the village and went back to the
place where it was seen by Anna
The dogs took the trail at once, Of
course, and in a few hours we had the
skins Of the old one and OF her half
grown kitten. No doubt the big cat
would have lit ON my wife an instant
later if Anna hadn't happened to turn
just then and thrown that bright
colored shawl straight into the face
of the brute"