Catoctin clarion., 1898-10-27
An Adventure.

"Several times panther'tigers have
killed stock at camps in Venezuela where
I was staying" writes traveller in the
New York Sun, land once herdsman
in my party was killed by one of these
within hundred yards Of the campfire.
His body we found. partly eaten, a
quarter of mile from the place where
he was struck down. Only once I had
a brush with one of these animals. The
encounter was a startling one, and for
me and my native guide. But we es-
caped unhurt, and as the affair turned
out the joke was on the tiger. 1t came
about in this way. Antonio and l, III
travelling on by.trail out of the mount
aims, had stopped for the night in a
deserted hut built against the hillside.
The hut was large one plastered with
mud, and it had one door, with an un-
glazed window about foot and a half
square set very high in the wall. I had
killed deer that day. and when We
went to sleep on the floor quarter of
vsnison was hanging on a hook on the
side of the wall opposite the window.
1t was this that attracted the tiger.
The first that we knew Of his presence
he came like a shot from gun, passing
directly over me and landing under the
venison on the other side of the room.
heard him strike on the floor and in
stsntly rear and tear down the meat
from the hook. Not knowing for the
moment what had broken loose, l wrap.
ped my blankets round me for protec-
ton, grabbed up nv rife and sidled
along. keeping close to the wall, to
where Antonio bad made his bed. 1t
was pitchy dark. but I could tell that
he was standing in the corner with his
machete in his right hand and his bian.
ket wrapped round his left arm to serve
as a shield. He was standing steady
but his eyes were fairly ablaze with
excitement.
What is it, Antonio?" I asked. IA
tiger?"
"'Yes, senior. He has come for ven
ison and cannot get out. No, do not
fire senior, for we are dead men if you
fail to kill him. Give me lumbre
(match), pray YOU
1--WE could hear the tiger trying to
leap up to the window with the quarter
of venison held in his teeth, and falling
back to the floor. Whenever he turned
his head towards us his eyes were like
balls of red fire, but he did not offer to
touch us, his whole aim seeming to be
to get out of the window with his plum
der. I found a match and gave it to
Antonio. He picked up handful of
the dried grass that his blanket had
been spread on, twisted it into torch
and lighted it with the match. BY It's
light we could see the tiger standing
under the window glaring at us over
the haunch of venison, which he plainly
meant to stay by.
".Come, senor,' said Antonio, and we
edged along the wall toward the door.
The tiger turned so as to continually
face us as we proceeded, and growled,
but, afraid of the fire, did not approach
us. Now. quickly. senor,' Antonio said
as we came to the door. Open it just
wide enough that you may slip out and
I will follow
II opened the door few inches and
squeezed through Sidewise, with Anto-
MO crowding behind me. He dropped
his torch within as he slammed the door
to and latched it.
"'Now We can breathe easy, senor,
he said. We have ell tigre captured
I'VE could hear the tiger within the
hut leaping up at the window and some.
times scratching at the door. Evidently
his whole aim now was to get out, but
it seemed impossible that he could es-
cape through the window, the opening
being so small and the mud wall within
affording no hold for his claws. That
he had been able to get into the hut
through so small an opening seemed
wonderful, but for that he had the ad-
vantage of the hillside from which he
could spring at the level almost of the
window. AS we waited for daylight,
when | intended to shoot him, | heard
the tiger spring once more and this time
his torepaws and head appeared at the
window while he struggled to draw his
body up through the opening. With
my rife muzzle not three feet from his
ear I shot him in the head, and slack
ening his hold, he slipped back into the
hut before I could pull back the lever
and fire again. We found him dead
on the floor under the window at day
light, and after all that had happened