The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1913-10-25
CHAPTER w.

The next two days searching oil
the forest for fresh tiger signs re-
vealed very little. On the third
morning after the encounter with
the peccaries. remained in camp
while John Charley, who had been
off since daylight, returned about
10 o'clock and reported that one
Of the much desired American
tigers had just killed a wild hog,
only eating small portion of it.
As the kill" had been carefully
covered. we felt sure this signified
the intention of the slayer's re-
turn. All the rest of the men had
gone up the stream in the large
boat, on a sort of holiday and fish
ing trip. They had also taken
along the dogs, leaving me quite
alone and undisturbed in camp,
where was penning this very mar
rative. The news of the jaguar ban
ished all further thought of writ
ing that day. and with John Char
ley in the little wood-skin craft, I
slid rapidly down stream for a cou-
pie of miles. Thinking possibly
the big cat, through his varying
and uncertain habits, might at this
very moment be making second
meal from the Kill" we made a
wide circuit, so as to come noise
lessly upwind, and thus to keep
our scent from reaching him. After
an hour of picking our way through
the thick tangle of growth, exer-
cising the utmost care to avoid the
slightest noise. we neared the spot
and looked tentatively through the
mass of foliage. There was neither.
sound nor movement-it was the
silence of sleep, one would say
death, for 1t was high noon and
the sun, shimmering undimmed,
drove all the wild jewellers to seek
the quiet shade, where the sun
cound not stab.
Almost inch by inch we worked
our way on, but it was soon appar-
ent that nothing had returned to
the kill" There was low
branching tree within a few yards
of the kill" while all around the
long opening caused by the fall Of
a giant Mora that lay uprooted,
where it cleaved a right through
the jungle for hundred and fifty
feet, and lay there stark and max ed.
In the low trees near the kill" we
built a platform of interlaced
branches.
I decided to send John Charley
back for the dogs. 1t was more
than likely that the tiger was
lying up" close by, and 1 believed
with the pack we could bring him
to bay and have the thing over in
short order. The faint sound of
John Charley's fleeing footballs
soon died away. Then again set
tied the solemn hush of the great
forest around. The shrilling of the
insects continued, and since there
was no other sound to be heard--it
was hard to tell what made me
feel that I was not alone-unless
1t was that was served with that
times. For there, where nothing
had shown a moment before, zap
peared a vision of spotted black
and gold gazing inquiringly down
the deserted vista from the very
end of the nude Mora log.
He came on slowly for a step or
two. then stopped short in the mid
die of a pace, seemingly to listen.
as IL something had arrested his
attention.
While his majesty was thus
occupied he deliberately stared
mp into my tree with two un-
speakably sinister, evil eyes
NO, mot eyes-two bits of cold
steel that penetrated through
to ones very blackboard!
Slowly he sank down to a
crouch, suddenly his ears were
gone, nattened; then, wrin-
killing his fnstidious nostrils,
that grinning mask displayed
q splendid set of giistening-
cruel fangs that spelled hate
and deaths
At the instant of the first shot
he had vanished with a wild leap
that was SO lightning-like that the
eve could scarce follow!
Reloading and slipping to the
ground, ] paused at the butt of the
tree to catch the slightest sound or
movement. There was neither.
Then opt along the Mora log, with
the gun at ready. stepped eau
tiously along. A big lizard went
scuttling over some dead leaves.
Up went the gun. and / almost let
off the right barrel. Near the end
of the great log few dots of scar
let caught my eye. He was hit
there was no doubt of that. Ever