Los Angeles herald., 1907-05-19

for moment during the whole night, and |,
am sure that | didn't. We could generally
see each others torches, and sometimes called
to one another. Now and then we would all
shout, hoping the children might hear us, but
there was never any answer.
In the morning l separated from the
others, and wandered SO far that 1T began to
seem to me like foolishness to look for such
small children at such distance from their
starting point.
" That little four-year-old never could have
got as far as this" / reasoned.
But L had now come to some compara-
lively open, ground, through which ran hol-
low, affording sort of natural pathway;
IT closely, and can hardly tell you how l
felt upon discovering in it the prints of little
There were three pairs of those poor little
feet, varying in size, and l knew there could
pc no mstake-l ; had struck the trail of the
innocent little truants
Here Arty had trodden, there Annie; and
right between the two had tottered along
four-year-old baby Maud-tired, oh, so tired!
ana "a, crying, perhaps for Mammal
IL % ran on as fast as possible, and in all the
gravelly spots | could defect the same foot
prints. AT last ! saw ahead of me an old,
tumpie-down log hut, which looked as if it
had "a, been deserted for long time.
ouch deserted huts are quite common in
brazil, having been put up for temporary use
~ PSNPiC ShlPioycu III UDe WOODS. DuC L ndl
never seen this one until then.
thought it probable that the children
would be found there, and so hurried on, full
of hope.
AS | neared the hut, what were my feel
lngs upon seeing two jaguars come out from
directly toward it; The hut was between
them and me, and I. darted behind it. the
doorway being on the opposite side.
II carried an old fintlock musket loaded
WITH 5uckshot, and, as. they came bounding
charge in her face when she was only ten or
twelve yards off.
The other was number. of yards behind,
and, as ne rushed on, 1 lodged around the
hut and in at the doorway.
81 think the brute must have stonned
upon getting around to the rear. not know
ing what had become of me; for there was
an interval of minute or so before he made
his appearance at the front.
That little delay saved INV Efo. n1 -
saved other lives too a great deal more reu nra. q.
cious than mine; for. there, right before me.
were the three children, lust start;na ~
from the hard earth floor, frightened half to
death by the tremendous report of the old
musket so close to their ears o-N
My greatest fear, as I darted around fbe
house. mad been that should find no means
of closing the entrance; but. to nv relief 7
saw. what had served for a door leanina
against the logs on the inside. It consisted
pieces by withes. N-''7
with desperation that made the beavy
wood .se seem ma as light light as feather clapped il
which lay on the ground within, and nd wb;cb Rib
had probably been used for the same rr- pul-
"Then the jaguar came tearing around n
the front, uttering terrific growis. II was AZ
about attempting to reload my musket wben "n'
to my dis dismaSy, .S Id discovered that the flint was
out at the moment of my firing. N'0ppeu
"The savage animal was perfectly fur;ons
He ran 4,R around tt the hut; hut thrastng his spotted
the whole length of his strong, supnle fore ~
Ilegs, and trying to tear away the hard wood VOC d
with his teeth. "'oo
''At length, throwing his weight ao.;rs+
the door, which did not fit very snusly 'is TO- IT,
place, he pushed it aside SO that for ~ mo. oe
rment my heart leaped to my throat. / thoupbt
he was coming right in.