The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1898-07-23
a JAouAR,s Trick.
The Clever Way in which He Fooled the
Caymans and Crossed the River.


CaymAns and Crossed the River.
Robert Wilson Fem contributes to
st. Nicholas an interesting story about
THE Jaguar and the Caymans." MIR.
Fem was camping on the banks Of the
upper Magdalena river in Colombia,
South America, and this is what he
saw: We had finished our evening
meal. and was enjoying my custom
airy smoke under the toldilla, or net
ting, and chatting with my Indian
companions, 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 large town, made the
cold chills creep up and down my
spine and goosehesh to run all over
me. what is ito" asked one of the
men. eel tigre, senor!" (The tiger,
| sir!) he replied; IVA pasar ell rio" Che
is going to cross the river). LET
him cross if he wants to- said I; "but
why does he want to upset my supper
and spoil my after dinner smoke with
his hideous noise?" Come and see,
senor,' he replied, and taking up his
! gun, motioned me to follow. Softly
we crept along the margin of the creek
toward the river, and making our way
through the spines of the overhang
! ing bamboos, came out upon the mar
row 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
and mouth open, emitting the most
blood curdling serenade one could ex
pect to hear, and looking for all the
world like a gigantic tabby cat. But
what connection such a noise could
have with his passage of the river
failed to see. "Anastasio," l said in
whisper, doesn't the foolish fellow
know that he will draw all the alli-
gators together, and when he gets in
to the water he will swim off in sec
tions" leave him alone" chuckled
the Indian; che knows how to get
across" So, crouching down in the
bushes on the bank of the river, we
waited for his next move. 1 think
we must have been there about twenty
minutes or half an hour, and I was
becoming almost worn out with the
attacks Of mosquitoes, when the con-
cert suddenly ceased. At the same
moment the moon came out clear and
bright from behind a cloud, and An
astasio, nudging my arm, pointed to
the surface Of the water in front of
the iaguar At first thought there
were a number of sticks in the water,
but as the current was swift and they
were motionless in their places, was
for a moment puzzled. "Caymanos"
(alligators), whispered the Indian, and
saw that his eyes were better than
mine There were the ugly shouts of
half a dozen of the big fellows, some
well out of water, and some just
showing their nostrils and the bumps
over their eyes, but all ready for their
expected prey. But they we're to be
disappointed this time, for the jaguar
Immediately upon the conclusion of his
serenade, started off UP stream as
! hard as he could run along the bank
of the river, and when he had gone
about five hundred yards dropped
softly into the water and swan safely
across, while his bafied enemies were
unable to make fast enough time III
stream against the swift current to
get him.