The commonwealth., 1898-06-16
FOR THE CHILDREN.
A JAauAR's TRICK.
The Clever Way in Which He Fooled
the Caymans and Crossed a River.

Robert Wilson Fem contributes to
the St. Nicholas an interesting story
about "The Jaguar and the Caymans."
Mr.. Fem was camping on the banks
of the Upper Magdalena River, in Col
umbla, South America, and this is
what he saw.
We had finished our evening p1eal
and was enjoying my customary
smoke under the toldilla, or netting
and chatting with my Indian compan-
ions, when, suddenly, the most awful
series of catcalls that l had ever heard
disturbed our peace and the night air.
A prolonged yowl, like the united
voices of::all the cats on all the roofs OF a
large town, made the cold chills creep
up and down my spine and goose-fesh
to run all over me.
"What is it?" I asked one OF the
men. Gel tigre, senor!" CThe tiger,
sir y he replied era pasar ell rio" Che
is going to cross the river.) "Let him
cross if he wants to-" said I "but what
does he want to upset my supper and
spoil my after-dinner smoke with his
hldeous noise?" "Come and see, senor,"
he replied, and taking up his gun, mo-
toned me to follow him. Softly we
crept along the margin of the creek to-
ward the river, and making our way
through the spines OF the overhanging
bamboos, came out upon the narrow
beach near the mouth OF the creek.
Sure enough, by crawling cautiously
along in the shadow OF the bluff we saw
our musical friend squatted on his
launches, with head thrown back ana
mouth open, emitting the most blood
curdling serenades one could expect to
hear, and looking for all the world like
a gigantic tabby cat. But what connec-
ton such noise could have with his
passage OF the river failed to see.
"Anastasio," l said in a whisper
doesn't the foolish fellow know that
he will draw all the alligators together
and when he gets into the water he
will swim off in sections? "Leave him
alone," chuckled the Indian; "he
knows how to get across" So, crouch
ing down in the bushes on the bank of
the river, we waited tor his next move
I think we must have been there about
twenty minutes or hall an hour, and
I was becoming almost worn out with
the attacks of the mosquitoes, when the
concert suddenly ceased. At the same
moment the moon came out clear and
bright from behind cloud. and Anas-
tasio, nudging my arm, pointed to the
surface of the water in front of the
iaguar. At first I thought there we're
a number ef sticks in the water, but az
the current was swift and they were
motionless in their places, 1 was for a
moment puzzled. "Caymanos" (al-
1igators), whispered the Indian, and ]
saw that his eyes were better than
mine. There were the ugly snouts of
half dozen OF the big fellows, some
we'll out of water, and some just show
Ing their nostrils and the bumps over
their eyes, but all ready for their ex-
pected prey.
But they were to be disappointed
this time for the jaguar, Immediately
upon the conclusion OF his serenade
started Off upstream as hard as he
could run along the bank OF the river,
and when he had gone about 500 yards
dropped softly into the water and swan
safely across, while his baffled enemies
were unable to make fast enough time
upstream against the swift current to
get him.