The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-03-02
BIG GAME.

It had been one of those Sultry night l tempered certainly by the river ant 3 from one reason and another l hal 3 vainly wooed slumber. My hammocl
 was slung near the banks of the Uru
 quay river, and the sounds to which
 had become so much accustomed dur
 ing the last few weeks instead of being conducive to sleep, had the reverse ef
 feet. The wings of the vampire kep , up heir uncanny waiting, the intermin ] able croaking and piping of the frogs , the flash of the fire-flies, the scream O. the ocelot the sullen growl of the jag uar and the splash of the capybaras az : they plunged into the water to escape
 their pursuer, and, not least, the hap
 oily futile attempts of the mosquitoes
 to gain entrance through the netting
 that l had improvised were only a few
 of the things that helped to banish
 sleep.
 But the longest night will pass, and
 then oftentimes sleep will assert her
 influence. In my case I was very near
 ly dozing off when I was aroused by
 sounds that instantly brought me to my
 senses. Day had dawned, and close by
 l.
 The female was lying at full length,
 whilst the two clubs were gambling
 around and over her--a beautiful sight
 Though it was not the first time l had
 met the jaguar l could feel my heart
 humping against my ribs; and con-
 versation I had had with MT. Alfred 1 Russell Wallace in my fathers house in London few months previously
 dashed through my mind. He had told me how, on the Amazon, when out af-
 ter birds and with only a shotgun, he
 had met black jaguar and had not
 interfered with him, being only too
 thankful to escape unmo1ested. I am
 afraid I took him to task, in my ego- l tism, for not blowing a hole through him at close range and can remember
 the smile my impudence brought 10 his l face.
 1 When I looked up at that old male as | he sat alongside his family; his great round head with short ears, torn and slit: the huge forearms. and the malig-
 nant expression, I no longer wondered
 at MT. Wallace What to do could not just decide, but as quietly as possible I freed my rife. The jaguars did not ap- pear to notice my proximity and had
 become calm, but it would have been madness to shoot. I had no more dogs all had come to an untimely end and the boat was pulled under the cover of the brush rod or two below. The great cats must have remained there fully quarter of an hour, and the sun had risen so as to show their splendid markings, the ground work appearing to be bright gold. I began to feel the suspense acutely, for I dared not stir and I did not know when I might be discovered; if this happened, felt that was in for 1t. for the taguar with young is terrible fellow indeed For tunately. the foliage effectively screened me, and what little wind there was set in my favor. The cubs chased around, tumbing and acting for all the world like great kittens, and 1t was a relief to me though I did not know what might happen next, when the old female stood up. Which direction would they take If down stream, they must pass within few feet of me, and I could not escape discovery. The thought was not pleasant, but fortune favored me and the mother started up stream with the two cubs following her. The male turned his head over his shoulder and looked after her, but did not change his position. It seemed to me that I had been watching for hours, and I was getting terribly cramped. If he had been alone I felt that I could | have killed him, he was so close; but I | did not know how near the others were. | No, 1t would not do to risk 1t yet. The | iaguar now stood up and went to the | water's edge and drank. giving me splendid chance at his shoulder l ought to have fired for I could have killed him, I am sure, and have got ready for the other had she returned, but somehow I didn't. I had the rife muzzle between my toes and covered him all the time. When he had fn- shed drinking he turned his head in my direction and sent my blood whirling | 1t was as well; for my hesitan- ey was becoming periloue Setting my teeth got his head in line and, at the shot, down he went all in a heap. 1reathed again and rapidly reloaded The jaguar never moved, but I thought had better hustle now, so, tumpling lul Ol lily IdDlHiVCh, puiiSb IL dONH | md made for the boat, once out in the stream feeling considerably more at ,ase, for it had been an exciting half lour, so far as nerves were concerned |
 I now rowed opposite the dead iaguar, tnd keeping a good lookout for his nate, went alongside and found his lSull was smashed. His weight sank he boat pretty deep, but I got out into he stream and floated down half a nile: then I went ashore on the oppo- ite side dragged him out and skinned i'm without much fear of molestation rom his mate, should she choose to in- matters.
 I salted the skin. rolled il up, and, sit ing down to the oars, pulled up the iver again, not stopping until I was hree or more miles above last nights ivouac. The female would probably l o back to the place, find the blood, aise tarnation generally. detect the arcass lower down and swim across } it. I had no notion of renewing her in her then excited state f mind; nobody who has not had expe- ence can imagine what terrible crea- lre a iaguar is under circumstances lterfering with family matters e