The sea coast echo., 1897-09-11
FIELDS OF ADVENTURE.
THRILLING INCIDENTS AND DARING
DEEDS ON LAND AND SEA.


Pioneer Mail Carrier in Montana.
when you get away from the towns
and more thickly settled parts of Gen.
trail America into the forest clearings
you will find that the native houses are
built upon posts well above the ground.
This is in part to protect the dwellers
from dampness in the rainy season and
to keep out reptiles, but the principal
reason for putting the houses upon
posts is for the safety of the residents
against tigers, the name by which
jaguars are generally called in Central
and South America"
James Sharpley, now of New York,
was the speaker, and he was telling
some of his experiences in Central
America, where he had travelled as
agent of buying firm.
"Those who think lightly Of the
courage Of the people in these southern
regions might reconsider their opinion
If they had seen the performance of q
boy who acted as attendant, guide, and
porter for me during three weeks
trip among the rubber gatherers of
Oooo1 Asich. IIo Was VI lulAou luulhu
and negro blood, an active, intelligent,
good-tempered young fellow, without
trace of school education, but perfectly
at home and master Of the situation in
the tropical forest. One night we were
stopping at little settlement called
Las Contreras. was o guest at the
house ofthe head man, who had. as
signed me his best chamber. MY boy
Jose-Jose Maxine was his full name
had swung his hammock from two
posts of the veranda directly in front
of my door, which opened upon the
veranda. I waa sitting with my host
outside the door at about 8 o'clock in the
evening. 1t twas a clear starlit night,
with q full moon lighting up the clear
ing and the dozen little houses about
the great one where was, and show
ing the blackness of the dense forest
that hemmed us in on every side. In
his hammock Jose lay smoking Gig
arettes, his machete hanging from O
peg in the post behind him.
Jose had dog that accompanied
us in our travels, big native brute
that he set great deal by. Like
Central American dogs in general it
never barked, but would growl or
yell or whine on occasion; and had a
value to us as watch dog. This dog,
seeking, perhaps, the companionship
of its kind, had wandered from the
house. My host was in the act of tell
ing me that, while there undeniably
were tigers in the forest, they never
ventured near Las Contreras, when
Jose, missing his dog, called it. From
the shadow of hut near the edge of
the forest the dog came trotting to-
ward its master. There was a clear
space about sixty yards in width for
1t to cross, and was lazily Watching
the dogs moving, tawny form, of a
tint not easy to distinguish, even in
the bright moonlight, against the yell
lowish green of the low tropical plants.
1t had got half way across the opening
when from the deep forest shadow
came bounding toward it, precisely as
a rubber ball bounds along on the
| ground, creature vastly larger, that
we did not see until it was almost
upon the dog.
'Tigrel TigreP shouted my host,
jumping to his feet. Like flash Jose
came out of his hammock upon his
feet and seized his machete from the
peg. He had wrapped his grass
woven blanket round his arm and
leaped to the ground when the jaguar
sprang upon the dog, which had
started to run, but was overtaken in o
jify. The weight Of the jaguar
crushed the dog to the earth; there
was one yell, shut off half way as the
jaguar's teeth found its throat; there
was brief struggle, then the iaguar
seized the dog midway of its back,
lifting it as lightly as cat would lift
a rat, and turned back toward the
forest just as Jose came up He was
not in time to strike the jaguar blow,
but he threw his machete at it, wound
ing the beast in his hindquarters. In
stantly the jaguar turned, dropped tho
dog and leaped upon Jose, who was
rushing forward to get hold of his
weapon, which had fallen TO the
ground. The shock nearly threw him
down, but he kept his feet, and, pro-
tecting his face and throat with the
blanket wrapped around his left arm,
he staggered toward the place where
the machete was lying, the jaguar
clinging to him with its claws as he
went.
"As soon as I fairly realized what
was taking place--it took some valu-
able seconds to do this, the whole
thing came SO suddenly-I doged into
my room where my rifle stood in q
corner. AS I came out on the veranda,
rifle In hand, Jose, STOPPING to seize
his macl,ete, was forced to the ground,
where he lay ON his back with the
jaguar above him still tearing savagely
at the blanket, and trying to get to his
throat. Jose had got hold of his
machete and was using il with hi.
right hand; but he could only thrus
upward at the jaguar, having no chance
| to give the sweeping blows which is
what the machete is made for. L came
within ten PAGES of them, but the
jaguar paid no attention to me.
Lie quiet, Jose, Pm going tc
shoot called to the boy in Spanish
and fred at the iaSuar's shoulder. The
creature whirled half round as if il
would spring at me, then sank side
wise to the ground, pitching forward
upon its right shoulder, which my
bullet had broken. Jose sprang to hi
feet. I did not dare fire again, as hi
was in my direct line of aim, but h,
was equal now to dealing with th,
beast alone. With blow of hi
| macheta he severed ita e,,ina and