The National tribune., 1901-04-04

unreclaimed brute needs to know so much.
and that is the reason why primitive men
cannot account for their fatal sagacity
otherwise than by supposing them to be
possessed by evil spirits. Seeing the deeds
they do, the strategy and malignity
evinced in attack or evasion, Mosquito
Coast Indian cannot think anything else,
so that it would be perfectly useless to
argue with him.
Towards noon the woodlands ended in
a fine park-like country opening out to-
wards both north and west as far as one
could see. Its rolling grassy savannahs
were set with clumps Of forest growths;
flowers in profusion, though mostly scent
less, grew everywhere, while those swales
running between round-backed ridges
sometimes sank into deep, narrow valleys
or even ravlnes.
A short, very much broken line of crags
with tree and thicket-clothed buttresses,
had been rising before us for several
hours. The place looked decidedly I'll
gerish," and when we arrived, its appear
ancc became still more satisfactory.
Rough gorges ran among the weather.
worn rocks, rivulets trickled beneath dense
thickets here and there, forming pools in
open spaces; moreover, looking at the
barren, steep cliffs, we saw thar many
Were terraced by the action "s weather,
several being followed into cav S, whose
dark mouths blotched their gray surfaces.
Truly, this was IL promising spot, and
our attendants confidently expected TO find
jaguars. These latter, however, are al
most always inhabitants of forested coun-
try, so we were not completely reaSsured
until plenty of great oval pugs like the
footprints of tigress were found in the
first gulch explored.
At this time we had quite large party,
the majority of whom did not intend go-
ing any further. These men brought nu
merous ours with tbem-''tiger dogs
as they called the wretched mOngrels
With reference to such aids it may be said
once for all, that although they are EN-
plOyed constantly throughout Central anC
South America, none repay the trouble o.
bringing them up.
No hounds of any native breed will fol
low jaguars. These dogs clamor about
their master, never yenturlng into the JUN
gle by themselves.
On this occasion our canine attendants
did some good by making a noise; but We
were beating for game then, a mode OIL
hunting scarcely ever practiced in thes,
latitudes. The gorge was well adapted
to that method, however, and our Indians,
pleased with its novelty, and quickly com
pretending those few instructions it had
been necessary to give, soon went off.
Left alone we looked to the rifles
picked out position such as would ensure
a cross-ire, and then got behind bushes
to await developments. Deep silence
reigned, but it was at length broken by Il
solitary cry of mingled fear and anger
quickly followed by the whole pack giving
tongue. Indian yells joined in and before
long magnificent roar pealed high above
all other sounds, telling us that our game
was afoot and coming.
He knew none of those tricks big
Asiatic cats acquire. Straight and boldly
the beast advanced not expecting to meet
a and cta
seeing the flash of his tawny hide, that
pause he made was more in astonishment
than apprehension. Moreover, it did not
last long Rage took its place with great
celebrity.
The fierce brute's dilated form and blaz-
ing eyes well entitled him to be called
tiger. A moment more passed while this
group stood rigid; then short, hoarse
quickly-repeated rOars broke from his
chest and he charged. There would have
been no excuse for missing, as it was
open ground, and the rush lacked that
wonderful, often confusing swiftness, with
which other great felines dart upon their
adversaries. Two heavy balls tore through
his body diagonally, and he fell in heap,
stricken dead almost instantly. Our guns
got most of the credit for this achieve
ment; moreover, if either of us had ven
tured to say that he faced the furious
animal without being protected by magic,
not one of those present at our campfire
talk would have given any credence to
such an impossible statement.
Probably no better illustration Of the
superstition besetting these natives could
be given, than to repeat story told on
this occasion.
An elderly man with stern, sad face.
said, with more picturesqueness than can
be reproduced here, that his father was
the intimate Of many spirits, being expert
in sorcery; but he thought they could not
have been very powerful ones Nobody
could tell beforehand how strong spirit
might be, hence wise men deceived them
selves, and the consequences were bad.
His fathers brother had been deyoured