The true Democrat., 1897-07-31
FIELDS OF ADVENTURE
THRILLING INCIDENTS AND DARING
DEEDS ON LAND AND SEA

adventures With South Americ,, r,
suars-A Hunters Run from Ono arr,
| an Indians Brave Effort to Save He
chiia-shootins a Canyon in A,ask,
| In the autumn Of 1892 was s+or
ing at ranch Oh the Alta upper
Orlnoco, in the partly open lands O.
the cattle region Of Venezuela D ssi;
Sndney Ascot, who has travelled sout}
America from one end to the other i,
the New York Snn. cone day N.
friend, Ellis Grell, q noted cattle ey.
porter, at whose house I was q guest
proposed that we go out with our shot.
guns tol pewas, as the wild turkeys OF
that region are called. Twas reading
al interesting novel at the time. SO
when we started out with our guns .
lunch, and pockets full of corn, I took
the book along with me, for I knew
that pewa hunting meant hours of 81
lent waiting, which reading would help
to while away. When we got to the
place we meant to hunt, Grell and 7
separated SO as to cover more country.
| found a spot to suit NE, rugged ND a
blind Of green branches, and then
dropped the corn along in lines, all
leading, from considerable distances
away. up to the blind, to entice the
turkeys within shooting range. Then
l seated myself comfortably behind
the blind, and taking out the novel,
began 10 read
"The story was q good one, and as
was expecting nothing but turkeys
to arrive, did not at first pay much
attention to a rustling sound that after
time came to my ears from a tree
that stood few PAGES away, so near
that the tip Of one of it's lower
branches almost overhung me. I
merely glanced up among the leaves,
and seeing nothing to cause the sound,
thought that it was made by a bird or
monkey, and went on with my read
ing. In place Of the rustling came
another souad, a steady Aip-fap,
which I coul,l not understand, and I
looked up into tn s-ee more carefully;
but still seeing n,thing to alarm me
l turned again to my book. should
not have found the novel so interest
ing had known, as presently found
out, that the rastling was caused by
jaguar lying upo1 LIMB Of the tree
within easy springinc distance of me,
and the Aip-happing sound was made
by his tail.
"a turkey came along at last, soli-
tary one, and [ shot it directly opposite
the blind. The instant tho bird fell
struggling the jaguar leaped from the
tree upon it, struck it down with his
paw, and turning, crouchod, growing,
as if to spring upon me. The only
cartridges I had along were loaded
with fine shot, anG there was but one
left in my gun. did the only thing
possible to save myself and fired at
the jaguar's bead, destroying both of
his eyes. Flo :"..nang, but the shot
made him swerve, anl he landed to
one side Of me, giving me chance to
run. Blinded as he was, the jaguar chased
me all the way home to the ranch
house, guided only by the sound of my
movements and his sense of smell.
Running slap against tree trunks and
whatever else might be in his way, he
nevertheless led me so close chase
that had not my path laid through
woods he certainly would have over
taken me. I had no cartridges with
which to pepper him as ran, having
left my cartridge belt on the ground at
the blind with my book in the hurry
OF getting away.
"a garden fence before the house
stopped the jaguar, and, while he was
nosing along it trying to get through,
I had time to dash indoors and get
some buckshot cartridg ges for my gun,
with which I came out and finished
him. I had had close call, closer
than ever I care to repeat; and I never
went out shooting again in the tropics
without taking both ball and buckshot
cartridges with me. That the jaguar
lay SO long in the tree without spring
ing directly upon me I attribute to
the probability that he was not very
hungry. It was the sight Of the hut-
tering turkey, it's natural prey, and the
smell Of its blood that woke the jaguar's
savage instincts.
"In the village Of Nutrias, up the
Orinoco, I saw an Indian named Josefa
Arabundo who bore sad marks Of a
juguar's teeth and claws, being lamed
for life, and she incurred them in de-
Tending her child from being carried
away. It occurred in this way: As
she sat at her door one day with the
child beside her jaguar suddenly ap-
peared, seized the child, and turned
to dart away with it into the forest. In
desperation the mother grabbed the
beast by the tail and held on. The
jaguar dropped the child, and, turning