Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1896-09-03

WHOA, Pete! Whoa, good fellow; it's
all right
On hearing my voice, the sagasion
beast ceased to pull, ond stood quietly,
though still gazing intently ahead, and
trembling in every limb. Obviously
something more serious than the COM
ing shower had scared him.
peering about TO ascertain the cause
of his fear presently caught sight OF
two luminously shining balls in the
edge of the brushwood, scarcely 20
feet beyond him, and behind these !
could now amly see the sinuous, slow
creeping form of an immense jaguar,
who was evidently bent upon making
an easily won meal off poor Pete, fast
bound between himself and me.
Unfortunately was fully 30 feet
away from and on the wrong side of the
terrified beast on whose saddle hung my
precious rifle. No use making q rush
for it. El tigre (as the native Hondurian
calls the jaguar) could reach his expect
cd prey in single bound, for which he
was already crouching. Hurriedly
thrusting hand behind me to draw my
revolver, it came in contact with an
empty holster. The pistol was gone,
doubtless jerked out while I was SHOW
ing myself, feet foremost, through
some vine-bound aperture, too narrow
TO at once admit my shoulders, and, pre-
nao,,,>;a1 h,t athar ,,,ottarc Il bo1 noyar
missed II.
So there I was, armed only with
two-pound AK and hunting-knife, face
to face with full-grown male jaguhf,
by far the largest and most ferocious 81
all American felidae, beast compared
TO which the so-called mountain lion
(puma) is mere kitten.
Thare was no time for deliberation.
Knowing the generally cowardly ma.
ture of the brute, uttered n series OF
yells, any one of which would certainly
have demoralized human enemy who
had an enr for music, and started to-
ward the mule, hoping to save him from
the attack. But the great cat, with all
it's bloody instincts aroused, did not
scare worth cent. Before had covered
onehalf Of the 30 yards, 1t sprang
harshly screaming into the mir, and,
with outstretched talons and cleaning
fangs, would have descended fairly
upon old Pete's back, had not he, with
almost human intelligence, or perhaps
parnlyzed by terror, sunk fiat to the
ground; whereupon the monster
passed clear over his body and lighted
close to me, yet not quite within strik.
ing distance.
For one second the baflled brute re.
mnihed motionless, as IL undecided how
to act. Then, with snarling cry OF
rage, it once more crouched, glaring
gloatingly at me, as il, this time, sure
of victim.
With one foot advanced, and the nx
held ready for instant use, watchfully
awaited the onset, knowing only too
well that II I missed my first blow ]
should never have chance for another,
The suspense was short, however.
Again the iaguar gathered his hind
legs well under him, preparing for the
fatal spring-a spring that was never
made, for at that moment the aerial
flood-gntes were opened; the rain came
down MS If from an overturned lake;
vivid lightning played around the steel
in my hands, and n mighty crash OF
thunder shook the earth itself.
The tiger" seemed appalled,. just
rs the cloudburst found him, with high.
raised, arching back and retracted lips
parted in a fiendish grin, So he re-
mained while one might, perhaps, count
three. Then he Strengthened cover.
ly out and writhed partly around, as Il
to fly.
Too late! Though well-nigh over
whelmed by the almost solid sheet o.
falling water and half blinded by the
incessant Lightning flashes, had stag
gered forward until the ravenous beast
was within reach Of my long-handlct
AK, and, while he yet wavered in irres
olute bewilderment, / brought tn,
; keen blade down with all my strength
; on his tawny neck, just back OF thu
skull, severing the spinal cord and lay
ing him, helpless and dying, at my feet
Twas lucky stroke indeed. Even {
rifc-bullet through his brain could no
have paralyzed the monster cat more
quickly. Wise old Pete realized til,
changed condition of affairs at once
With half bray, half Whitney Of tri
umph he rose from the ground an(
gazed at his now dead enemy with al
much pride beaming in his honest eye
as If I've himself had won the victory.
But all the soluble part of my dinner
was spoiled, and / had to satisfy IN!
hunger on jerked beef washed dowi
with plain water; for even if the ounc,
of tea had not floatcd Off the top o
the oyerhowed pannier, it would nov
have been impossible to kindle fire.
The tempest of rain soon passet
away, and l then most CAREFUL,
, skinned the jaguar; long and tedious
job, as ! took great pains to preseIv,
the beautiful pelt with head, claws ant
tail complete.
With the single exception of one
. afterward killed in Brazil, this wa.
the largest jaguar have ever seen, it
gorgeously ringed and spotted Goa
measuring from end of snout to tail
tip within fraction of II feet.
Without further adventure reache,
camp shortly before dark, and wecl
afterward, while cutting paths to tn
big trees, my men found the lost re
volver, which, however, was nearl,
! ruined by rust.-N. Y. Ledger.
One million standard gold dollar
weigh 0-10 short tons, while the stand
ard silver dollar weighs 90 81 short ton
per $1,000,000. One million dollars o
the silver ten-cent piece weigh 20 s.
short tons; Of the fve-cent nickel
40 is short tons; OF the one-cen
bronze piece, 342 81 short tons. and 0
the "old' copper cent, 1885 81 shor
tons.