The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1898-03-05
TWO MORTAL FOREST FOES
INSTANCES or TIRE EN1IITT OF THE
PUMA and JIGUAR.

Friendship of the So-Calied Lion for Man
Cases in South America Where the Puma
Has Attacked a Jaguar and Thus Saved
Human Beings In Peril of Their Lives
With my Indian guide, Manuel l
WAS returning one afternoon from
camp Of rubber gatherers on the Ma
tranta river, in the upper Orinoco
country, to the little plazita of Santa
Catalina" said En- T.. Armstrong, VINO
was in Venezuela for several years as
agent for an English rubber company
s'We were on foot, with a scanty
amount of daylight left to do the SIX
miles of distance in. Our path lay
through forest all the way-sometimes
a dense growth, with the spaces be-
tween the tree trunks so closely filled
with climbing vines and underground
that we could not see five PAGES to the
right or left; and again opening into
the park-lil1e reaches with scattered
trees upon the broad spaces of green
sward After a while l noticed that
the guide looked back from time to
time and that he had taken his ma
chete from his belt and was swinging
1t in his hand.
"'what is it, Manuel?' 1 asked him.
Els there anything wrong?'
"'Senor, tiger is following u.s. he
said
''Tn Central and South America the
taguar is always called tiger as the
puma Is usually called lion. At the
guides words I stopped short and
looked back and all around. We were
in an open space, except for tree
here and there, and I could get clear
view for one hundred and fifty yards
In every direction. / could catch no
glimpse of jaguar, and said so to the
guide.
II have not seen him, senor' said
Manuel. But the man who has passed
his life in the forest need not see to
know when ell tigre is following him.
He feels his presence. have felt this
one-felt his eyes watching us for the
last two miles we save come. AS
darkness falls he will draw closer, for
he is a cebado oman eater).'
stThis information set me to reflect
Ing on my folly in firing all my cart
ridges away at paroquets and wood
rats at the rubber camp. Now my
empty revolver was useless for the
present occasion, and we had only
Manuel's machete to depend on If the
jaguar should attack us, as undoubt-
eddy he meant to do at nightfall. We
soon had half-mile stretch of dense
forest to take where our path under
the vytopped trees was shaded to
seni-twilight. Manuel looked behind
him often as we walked quickly on in
silence. Presently the guide paused
and motioned me to halt.
Listen he said in a whisper. DO
you hear?'
Somewhere from the forest, off to
the left of the path, there came to my
ears faint, rustling sound. Some
thing was moving steadily and softly
through vines and underbrush in a di-
rection parallel with our course. The
sound drew abreast of us and ceased
EFT is ell tiger, senior He has
stopped to hearken,' said Manuel. Let
us hasten on
'An open space ahead of us was In
sight, when the cracking of dead
twig on the right of the path and the
rustling sound repeated In that direc-
ton Informed us that the jaguar had
crossed the path behind US and now
was keeping abreast of US on that side
we came out into the opening and
clear daylight safely. The sun was
setting and there was another stretch
of forest travel which we knew would
be dark Here it was to be expected
thatythe jaguar would make his attack
and for tussle with such beast
which, next to the Bengal tiger, is the
most savage and powerful of the feline
race, we were i'll prepared.
midway in the opening, about 6
hundred yards from the path, stood ar
algarroba tree. Something lying il
the shadow of the tree. which at frs
glance I took to be a lump of reddish
rock, suddenly uuickened, and I saw
that it was an immense puma, now
risen to his feet, gazing at us in Won
fering sort Of way. A moment more
and he had run up into the tree like {
tawny streak and disappeared among
The leafy branches. I looked back a.
the dark wood we had just quilted
Something moved indistinctly amonl
the shadows at the edge, and a. pair o.
eyes like burning Goals shone in thu
darkness. The jaguar was drawinl
nearer.
ITO me the puma meant another en-
emy as formidable as the jaguar; bu
on Manuels face the sombre look o
anxiety at once gave place to an ex
preston of almost joyous relief.
q Senior, Tic Tigre (Uncle Tiger will
not trouble us further to-day he sait
confidently. tito Leon (Uncle Lion
will have business with him soon. ant
we may saunter home without care
sHowever, we did not waste an.
time, but struck across the opening
into the last stretch of forest that la,
between us and the plazita. Their
was no more sound of rustling under
brush or sight of flaming eyes to caus
us anxiety. Instead, when we wer
half way through the wood there cam
from the darkness behind us a scream
such as I have never heard bfore o
of hatred, rage, vengeance, that an
nounced the coming together of tw
inveterate forest foes. The scream
merged into confusion of cries an
growlings almost exactly like tn
sounds, a hundred times magnified