The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1910-05-25
The Black Ja8uar.
By PAUL J. FAIR.

ne was surprised 10 see DldCh iihe
Of vultures along the rim of q deep
ravine. No carcass in sight, but more
uribus constantly alighting, always
along the edge, That was strange.
Suddenly the thought flashed upon
his mind-the onca was still feeding
and slipping from his horse, he
hobbled its fore legs, and then ran
toward the ravine at point couple
of hundred yards below, the black
line of scavengers. Hardly had he
started when some excitement seized
the birds. and they began to spread
their wings and drop clumsily into
the gully.
Alfredo cautiously raised his head
to look down into the watercourse,
and saw there, already covered with
black mass of vultures, the carcass,
and beyond it the leisurely retreating
form of black jaguar.
He turned and ran swiftly back to
his horse. Jerking off the hobbies,
he rode down into side ravine out
of sight. The jaguar, he reasoned,
would return to the swampy forest
mile beyond to sleep during the day.
This distance the animal must go in
full view upon the open prairie. If
only the onca had eaten heavily, so
that it would be dull and slow! The
vaquera loosed the coils of his riata,
arranged them carefully and adjusted
the moose.
Then out of side gully an eighth
Of mile away numbered the jaguar,
| his great bullet-head moving from
side to side as he walked. Waiting
only to make sure that the cat was
headed for the forest, Alfredo pressed
the spurs in. With vicious little
squeal and head toss, the stallion
bounded out of the gully, and re-
spending to the pressure on his neck,
struck out for the jaguar.
Twenty, fifty, hundred yards he
went before the cat heard the hoofs
and seeing the man, broke into a
clumsy gallop straight for the forest
That it was labored effort was very
evident, and with whoop, half-joy
half-challenge, the vaquero drove his
spurs into the horses flanks.
Faster and faster flew the whis.
tling rope in his right hand, in ar
ever-enlarging circle as the interval
between horse and cat diminished
1t was hopeless race, the fiery little
horse against a cat, none too swift
at any time for run of any length
and slowed down now by heavy
meal.
AS he drew nearer, the horse be
gan to fight for his head, and it wa!
only by merciless use Of bit ant
spurs that the man kept him going
directly toward, the jaguar.
Finally, rising high in the saddle
he sent the moose in a snaky lin,
straight at the jaguar's head. Will
a snarl, the brute bounded sidewise
and the moose fell harmlessly in tn,
grass. Hardly checking speed, AL
fredo jerked it in, and hastily coiling
sent the circle out again, higher thi
time, and farther over. Out, out /
, sailed, over the great black head, ant
, -dropped
I Chock-k! came the strain upon tn
, saddle-horn, and the snorting littl
, horse squatted fairly back upon hi
launches, head down and forefeet ia
, out and apart. The jerk of the tau
rope just back of the angle Of hi
jaws whirled the jaguar in a com
5 plete somersault.
t Up he was in flash, tearing fran
9 tically at the slim something that at
! into his neck and choked him, an
: that his claws would not catch, real
2 ing, tumbling, his jaws working spas