Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1902-10-02


and they could not pass over the train
TO release the brakes. The IS loaded
cars, most of them having frightened
brakes had stopped No. 10 on the in
cline.
81 must either give up hope of get
ting to the port in time for loading
the Breakwater, or else must kill or
drive away the jaguar. The fire Of his
eyes was intensified by the Pickering
light of the torch 1t was not pleas
ant grimace when the brute suggest
lively wiped his lips and tongue with
those huge paws.
"The engine gave a sudden lurch.
My fireman must have been meddling.
1t threw the animal from his balance.
His tail dashed. Handing the torch to
man, raised my Winchester. The
beast glared ferociously, and meas
ured with his eye the distance to the
ground. Some of the men ran. AS
the animal seemed about to jump,
took hasty aim and pulled the trig-
ger. Apparently the jaguar was I'M
harmed, but he had changed his opin-
ion about the jump, and calmly trotted
along the tops of the bananas toward
the engine. / aimed at him again and
pulled the trigger. Then / remem-
bered that the only cartridge in the
Winchester was the one l had fired.
81 shouted to the fireman. but before
I could make him understand the cow
ardly fellow jumped from the cab and
scampered into the forest. Luckily,
there was no other jaguar awaiting
him.
81 went toward the cab, expecting
to find the jaguar in possession, and
determined to club him out with the
butt of my gun; Gut he was not in the
cab. I blew brakes off, and casually
looked around. On the floor of the
tender, among the wood and casks of
water, stretched out at full length and
apparently crouching for a spring, I
saw the jaguar. I jumped from the
engine. The thought of the freman's
cowardice did not amuse me. AS fast
as possible I ran toward the rear of
the train.
''Ten o'clock was approaching. The
ship could not receive her fruit unless
we started Immediately. In my haste
I had left the rife in the cab; now I
took a crowbar which one of the
brakemen handed me. But the plan
from which hoped most was his sug-
gestion that I should climb upon
the engine from the front of the
cab, and then reach in to open the
steam valve on the chance that the
escape of the kissing steam would
brighten the brute TO the point of
leaping from the train.
81 opened the valve - the jaguar
never moved.
81 then reached heavy iron wrench
and threw it at the beast with all my
strength. 1t struck him upon the head,
but he did not stir. I was startled.
Climbing to the fancied security of the
top of the cab, I poked him with
rod; but could see no
sign of life.
after a close watch, descended
to the floor of the cab and opened the
furnace door to have more light. The
jaguar was dead. There was a hole
through his head caused by the lucky
shot from my Winchester. He had
walked to the tender in a daze and
died there.
81 blew the whistle vigorously. It
was a welcome sound to the trainmen.
The brakes were speedily released.
The fireman came scrambling back;
I opened the throttle, and slowly the
train went up the incline toward Porto
Cortez
"At little after ten o'clock that
light the whistling of No. 10, approach
ng with her load of bananas, sum-
moned the crew of the Breakwater,
whose captain congratulated the Of
icials Of theHonduras railroad on the |
remarkable expedition of their fruit
service. But when he saw the nine |
'eet of jaguar stretched out in my
ender and heard the story of the
difficulties of the run, he remarked |
hat the railroad officials should pass
vote of thanks to me upon the sue
,ess Of the record trip of the road."-
youth's Companion.