The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-02
THE GRIEF OF A JAGUAR.
an EXHIBITION THAT ALARMED
THE SLAFhRS OF HIS NATE.

RonFu OF Rage ana mourning Unlike Anything
Eise In the Foreats or Ecrador-Fury Awed
by tho hight OF Men. but WINS Vented
Upon Horues-An Engineers Adventure.
"1t was in the wooded region of Ecuador. Sin
the San Jacinto district, on the easterly slope
Of the Maritime Andes, that l killed a jaguar
one day just as our party was going into camp
for the night" said A. L. Vernon, q civil en-
gineer, who for several years was engaged in
exploring railway routes and building track In
various parts of South and Central America.
THE jaguar was a female. a Dig. hungry brute
that had followed us for hours, and she hung
so close about the camp after we halted as to
throw the horses and some Of the men almost
into o panic. 1 shot her in broad daylight, not
fifty yards from our campfire, as she was steal
ing upon a mule standing with his pack under
an. algarroba tree. l took Off her skin-it was
a superb one, sleek as satin, and splendid in Its
black and yellow markings-and. hung it against
the trunk of the tree high enough to keep it
from the mountain rats and other gnawing YER
min. 1t was in the pairing season of ia
guars, and some of the old forest.men with me
said that there would be another ti0re to deal
with before morning, that the male jaRuar
would come round III search II OF his mate. There
was a noticeable Willingness throughout the
camp to lend a hand in gathering nrewood,
and for their common safety l put two men in.
stead of one to the duty OF guarding the horses
and mules when the stock was turned out to
Craze through the night.
" were camping in ground partly open,
with, thickiy wooued slopes on the right and
Shortly after night1ull we heard the waiIng
cry OF a Jaguar OF in the forest on the right.
and tho sound shifted to different points, COM
blankets for the night. 1t was the dry season
and we slept in the open air. twelve OF us. in II
double row, and there were four fires left burn
ing brightly, one on each side of the camp. as
we dropped asleep. should not have trou-
bled to have the fires built on my own account,
having great faith in my repeating rife ana
revolvers to meet the case OF Jaguars or what
ever other beasts might come. but my men,
l gave them their way.
"Some time IN tho night l was Weakened by q
cry, q trightful scream that brought me to my
feet, with my rifle ciutched in my hand, before
l fairly knew that | was awake. All about me
the men were starting up and gazing fearfully
AROUND; ,.,, poa.,p ..,os 49, u..,uo .,,so
He had drawn his machete from beneath his
poncho; and now, resting on one knee was look
ing Eel Z ne sie s'fs' senoS 81 he Re A snsTessd LFs: lie is
MOURNING his esposa [wifel.'
II pointed with his machete toward the
above the mountains, and ny its light l could see
the jaguar standing beneath the tree looking up
trunk. Twice he moaned. The sound was
something between a whine and a low roaring.
Then.throwing his head higher he uttered again
a cry such as that which had wakened the
or since. Loud, deep. vibrant, It diIed the ar
with its expression OF wonder, .dismay and
GRIEF jaguar,s grief, with a note Of gathering
turned toward our camp as l could tell by the
flaming forth Of his syes like tireballs. Then
lowering his head and half.crouching the Jaguar
ave were all on our feet now. and every man
some OFT Of the men sap Wero a. the f ires that that fs.dof been On
built round us, stirring them into a blaze and
p Isn.esa fuel na. upon pc .s them Snso taking IS. care as they
the flame. Every instant we expected tho
jaguar to come bounding upon us. The sight
held him back from attacking us, but for sew
eral minutes the animal faced us. roaring
inches toward US. or rising, would tear at the
turf and tree roots as II testing the b strength OF
none NOS 't u US was "a M inclined e ds % aseept challenge that
fifty. yards away, in the bright moon.
i lg,I' the JagaSar made ? ata al fine ne, mark ptd sf for my
him. His grief and resentment. both 30 in.
tense and fitting. appealed to my, sympathy, and
unnolested. !, stood with my ,dnger at tho
rifle trigger without aiming until Petro's whis-
-" Tire, sennr, while you have the chance.
In the name OF Joseph and Mary do not wound
without killing him. If you do he will have
'Then 1 fired, three shots In succession, aim.
ing between the fiery eyes. The moonlight
more nerve shaking than buck fever, got into
my aim; knew that none of my bullets
@eNa
flash and reports OF the firing caused the jaguar
to retreat. At he third shot the roaring ceased.
and he crept into the shadow OF tho tree.
Somewhere beyond the trunk | caught another
glimpse of his eyes and fired Two more shots.
That was the last we saw OF him, as he stole
way in the darkness.
"Elve minutes later there name an outcry
~driven-sounds OF a stampede of hoofs, the cries |
OF the herderr, and a %gunshot. / took half tho
sounds. We met the herders coming toward
the camp very much frightened. FL 1Tgrel
until one OF them managed to tell me that the
jaguar had leaped among the horses, pulled two
OF them down, and stampeded the rest of the
herd. / cursed, the herders for their cowardice.
and threatened them with worse IL they did not
lake me TO the, jaguar. AS we came near the
place we could hear the growing OF the jaguar,
but at our, approach he left the horse he was
tearing and we did not get within 5 ght of him.
We found, as the herdefs said, that tine jaguar
had killed two horses. He had leaped on, one
horse and broken' Ito neck with q single bite.
Then had. oyertaken the second ono, my riding
~ -LI1tIN..