New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1898-06-15

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HE FINDS A DEADLY ENEMY IN THE
PLUcKY PUMA.
These Fierce South American Brutes Fight
Each Other to the Death on Sight-Two
Battles That Show the characteristics Of
the Animals.
con the Apure river, near it's head,
lives-or did live there five years ago
woman of mixed Spanish and Indian
race named Maria Padilla, the wife Of
the mayordoma, or foreman, of cattle
ranch. I have talked with her and
heard from her lips the account Of the
strange adventure she had when child
Of years.
''Her parents with their children
were making journey over trail that
led along the foothills of the Maritime
Andes. They had encamped for the
night, and this child, while her parents
attention was occupied, started into the
forest to gather firewood as she had Of
ten seen her mother do. Her absence
was not noticed until she had been gone
some time from the camp. AS she gath
cred dry sticks into a bundle she saw a
large, spotted animal stealing swiftly
toward her. y
EVERY South American country girl
Of knows jaguar when she sees him,
whether she has ever seen one before or
not, for the dread Of these animals is
an instinct among the inhabitants of
regions which they frequent. Overcome
by fear the girl could only stand still
and await her fate. With her eyes riv~
eted on the jaguar she did not see where
they came from, but of sudden she
perceived that he was savagely fighting
with two huge, tawny animals that had
sprung upon him.
"The fight seemed to her to last long
time, and once the brutes in their strug-
giles came very near to where she stood.
The pu1nas that had attacked him kill
ed the jaguar at last, and after standing
over the body a few minutes as if to as
sure themselves that he would not re-
yive they for the first time turned their
gaze toward the child, who had been toe
much terrified to improve her chance tc
run away while the beasts were fight.
ing. .-...-.-
"They favored her with long stare,
and then, not Offering to approach OF
harm her, turned deliberately away
and trotted into the depths Of the for
est. They scarcely had disappeared
when her father, having missed the
child and guided by the sounds Of the
fight, came running to the place with
gun and machete and found her safe
He got q jaguar skin as a trophy, though
it was cut too nearly into ribbons by
the pumas' claws to be of value
''In the Guarico country, at village
called Paraya, near the Merida trail,
saw an Indian named Jose Lobad(
whose face and head were deeply scar
red and whose body was a network O.
similar scars from wounds received
through being carried away by a jagual
| when an infant in arms. Of course hi
could not remember the occurrence, bu
his mother, who had rescued him, de
| ScTlDeQ IL TO me.
''She had gone to a malta, or wooded
spot, on the pampas for frewood, carry
ing her child, after the fashion of Ven
ezuelan women Of humble station, il
a shawl Topped from her shoulder. Thi
shawl, with the small boy in it, she slunE
to low tree branch while she gathered
her bundle Of sticks, and she did no
perceive the approach of a jaguar unit
he had seized the child and was carry
ing it away.
1.-The mother grasped her machett
and ran after the jaguar, shrieking
She managed to keep the beast in sight
but he was rapidly getting beyond he]
view when suddenly the jaguar stopped
put the child down and bristling fo]
fight stood with his forepaws resting
upon it.
''Then the mother saw that puma
was fronting the jaguar. She hurried
on toward where the two beasts facec
each other, growing and snarling. Be
fore she got to them the puma sprang
and at once the two were fighting fierce
ly above the child. In the struggle thu
child was rolled to one side, but before
the mother could get to it the jagual
broke away from the puma and spring
ing to the boy again crouched with hi
paws above him as before.
| ''The puma leaped again and the fgh
was renewed, but again the jaguar go
clear and jumped to guard his prey be
I fore the mother could get chance t.
snatch her child. Once more the pun.
attacked his foe, and this time as tn
beasts struggled and tore each other al
accidental kick from one of them sen
the boy 20 feet away, almost to tn
mothers feet. .--..- .~-,:....z-~~ss -.
Catching him up she ran for hom
and got safe to the house. The boy
though covered with claw wounds iron
head. to foot and bearing deep marks Q
the jaguar's teeth in the back, wher
the beast had seized him to carry hin
away, recovered completely from his in
iuries although hearing the scars FL