The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1894-03-12
SAVED BY A SPLINTER


.1'.u' %, waiting, but Ever
One Was Torture.
1t being TOO hot to move about
ernoon, had the natives sling ,,, r'', aI'
mock between two small trccs -'' =.
| PAGES from the tent In this posi,js,, y"
tne luil shade OF large tire to,ba ~
l ana was lar enough away from, tbe,.t.,.-.
ing natives 10 rest undisturbcd ~ ~.
thelr voices. fen asleep at about o,,I y.',''
ana my awakening two hours lat,- 80
very quick one. was lying ON ,,, ~; d.,
siae, facing tho big tree and looli,', 80 ~
tne forest beyond The first MI, Ii,, 80
the tree was about 10 feet from rio -, va
ana oranched TO the east Tho tr,,t- ~ ,l
Tree as we atterward ascertaiped ,,,,s , W..
ael, "a ieot from my hammock will Nv,
l' .,o was loot further did not a,vsl,,
"'lu START nor did rub NV ewes anJ
S""4' simply opened my ewes rs il / ma
e""' .l'eh only minute before, and found
myself Iooking AZ the limb have snolsen
W Wy vision was focused on a spot ab,t,t
s'N iee0 rom the trunk, and though waa
E'"'nB III a dreamy way felt a sudden
'ntH| IN the semidarkncss caught sigbs
u' Two merry eyes and made ont the form ~
via BEAST crouched along the limb
Inc wonder is that | did NIT st,,+ 60,
with shout to the natives, but sn f,r ne
can remember ! could not move hand ~.
iooJ IL was a sort Of nightmare ,ybic,,
heId my limbs, and yet was wide av,aI.,,
ana mad all my senses but that of feeling
The natives had gone down to the riyr, 70
nsh, leaving the camp qgita alone. nn5
aside from the hum of insects mud ,i,, ~,
caslonal note Of bird the ueighborboo5
was as quiet as Il nothing lived Wh,IsT
ana not move a finger the beast saw, my
eyes opeu and raised his head rraIi,ed Il,
nash that it was panther and that
was lne game he was after Prowlinc
tnroHSn the jungle, he had got my scent
ana Followed ltup. As the hammock WAS
noJ over two feet from the ground he could
nave erept up and picked me out of it, but
ne was probably hit puzzled over The
article. lie had climbed the tree to get
view from above and 30 seconds after cot
my eyes on him l knew that he meant to
attack me. Had l suddenly sat up and
Hung myarms about and shouted he would
probably have made OIL, but could not
have moved finger il dozen lives de.
pended on it,
It's male panther and a large one, j
unused as l got the outlines of bis form. "A
panther is capable of making prodigious
leap, but doubt If he can covct that dis.
tanco As the limb is parallel with the
hammock he lahors under DISADVANTAGE
in making his spring lie will try il.
though. His ears are lying fiat. his tn,l
moving, and his lip has fallen down till his
yellow fangs are plain TO view IL he had
a run of 10 feet along that limb. he could
clear tho hammock, but rs it is he must
leap sideways. Hear his claws tearing the
bark! See how the red in his eyes changes
TO green and gliuts like diamond in the
glare Of the sun, If could set the ham
mock swinging, it might frighten him, but
! cannot move muscle All He's NOV
ing farther out to get an advantage, but he
does not find ii. Every inch has got TO DO
figured on in the spring he will make. He
backs up to his original position and snarls
and splits like an angry cat. He's working
up his nerve to make the spring
Harkl There's movement in the thick
ct! 1t can't be one of the natives. and no
party Of hunters would approach from that
direction. The panther flatteus himself
down on the limb and looks down aud
growls, A minute later he snarls aud
Splits ana ] hear the "WootN of a hyena
Us he trots away. For half minute the
i, . 80. r. - ..... a.. l.
|, DeaS' on Vne iilap seems 10 De SIZING me mp.
ne l,''9 never seen Il INN 'NiHg III u nam
llu0H De,"ly' "VT me surf u : 1t man Nv
ing OF ov"u' ne u come III inc heNV ie"
SECONDS. ,,.,,
near Vhe S"!'hu OF MS cla"S as they
iaHe a urn non anu mere is a movement
10 ms shoulders "ilcn e''l'eov "e mistaken
ne gives nus la'i 'lFgo OF lour ,'nEty uHts,
SNAKES nus ne"u %' u ehn"5eu py mes hnd
Then ! sec Ef'aV pau II. lne 'lr between
me anu 'ne i'n'h' IL is coming syralSht "5
me ana "'1h "a yen J come 10 " s'I'ihe pos
l'Te JuSJ IN tiine TO sac gNo pluluet s'p'Ae
the eaFth, re comes Gown J4SV s'S leet
s,'oI 10 s.iiNa "g 't'," '' tY a. '.i'u