Year: 1868

4 NC0AoSb LnJ eAOuShto hC1C iu1 sOl Tie


beast.


"You must know there is broad desert
I between San Blanco and the woods-a
vast waste without water or vegetation,


and only here and There a tree. But it
4 would not afford me a safe hiding place,
4 and so had to hurry across it as fast
H as | could in order to get into the woods.
4 81 had gone but little distance in the


dark forest, looking about cautiously,
whea heard, away off in the distance, a


noise which | knew at once was the


iaguar's roar


j "You see my nerves were all Of trem-


BILE, owing to the excitement was in, and


this, added to the fact that was waiting


every minute in fear Of that very sound,


made me hear IL when the beast was


great distance off.


/ "My flesh almost crept as I heard that
4 long, terrible screech-a noise such as no
other animal makes-and enough to set
your teeth on. edge, even if it didn't mean
death


but it did'mean death to me-and a
horrible death, too.


"This, and good deal more, ran
through my head like lightning when l
heard that far-of scream. knew he had
snuffed my blood and was after me; and
l imagined him crashing through the
woods, his tail flying, and his eyes blazing,
on my track. How was to escape? At
first | thought Of going up one Of the
great solid trees which were around me /;
but then I remembered that the iaguar is
skillful climber, and that with their low
hanging branches he could easily reach
me-. Ff


My only chance was to reach a carob
! frno !, l,taI at<~ Il IL ~ I
ert, toward the town. Perhaps the iaguar
would not follow me there.


"The screaming was now distinctly au-
dible, and was no longer in doubt. Throw
ing off everything that could cumber me,
began to run


Z" | am good runner l never saw
many men that could run with me. But
to out-run jaguar! | never had any
idea of doing it. Still [ thought l might
reach the carob tree


"The roars became more frequent and
louder as ran, and at last, looking back
when | was about half way to the tree,
saw the murderer springing over the
ground, gaining on me at every bound.


Excuse me, sir, there's the manager
calling me; I'll have to 60" said the gym
mast.


But how did you escape ?" asked


"I'll tell you another time," said he,
hurrying away.


II reached the carob tree" said the
gymnast, resuming his story the next time
met him, reached it in ample time, for
the jaguar was still long distance off, |
as could tell by his roars. The ground |
was so uneven that could not see him,
but heard him often enough


The tree was tall and slim; therein |
lay its value, you comprehend There |
was only nest of branches away up at |
the top, and none but trained climber |
could ever have got up. But climbing is
part OF my trade, you know. l went up
in that tree lively, can tell you. 1t was
far from strong tree, and my climbing it |
made it shake and sway; but it was of |
tough wood, and / managed to get into |
the top


Did you ever see bird light on a hol-
lyhock stalk Then if you have you
know how the stalk will sway and culver
under the birds weight. Well, what that
bird was to the holly hook, was to that
carob tree. 1t swayed and shook under
my weight just like that hollyhock under
that bird. But I knew the tree was
tough, and didn't feel afraid-not of that
my thoughts were On something else





Yonder the jaguar came, bounding
along on my track, smelling of the ground
every now and then, like pointer dog,
and then setting up that appalling roar
that no man can hear. without his
flesh creeping. That's fact, sir-whether
the man is afraid or not, it's curious and |
well known effect of the jaguar's roar that |
1t makes the nerves tingle in that way that |
we call flesh -creeDing


When he had got within about fifty |
rods OF the tree he seemed to lose the |
track. He got off to one side, and paused, |
uncertain. He put his nose to the ground, |
sniffing eagerly, and dashing around at |
last in a fierce fury of rage at having lost |
my trail. He lashed his body with his |
long tail; he bounded about he rent the |
air with his screams of anger; and alto |
gether he would have been splendid |
sight to look at if could have felt safe. |
But knew he would presently get on my |
track, and then-well, would not have
bid very high on the chance of getting off, |
l assure you.


He was in a fine passion by this time |
and in his circling about kept drawing
nearer to me in the tree, though he had
lost. my trail. He was magnificent spe-
cimen of his kind-about two feet and
halt high, and six feet long, without meas
uring his tail; his hide a fierce yellow,
spotted all over with dark rings. So
much I could see while he was quite
ways off, s't'


"At last he got the trail again, and
being by this time perfectly furious from
being so long baked of his prey, he set
up a wild screech that made me shiver,
and no mistake. On he came, with great
bounds, by the side of which a runaway
horse wouldn't stand the least show


" A minute more ana he saw me.


"The next instant he had sprung for.
ward and grabbed the tree with his huge
paws, and was standing on his hind legs,
staring up at me with his fierce, red eyes.
The little tree trembled under the influ-
ence of the beasts light; and if ever
you are up in a tree, nth hungry man.
eating jaguar standing up against it, his
fore paws good eight feet up on the slen-
der trunk, giving it convulsive trembling
that makes it seem to be part of the
iaguar's own body, quivering with rage
and bloodthirstiness- I hope you
never will be, but if you are, you'll know
what mean when I say that / felt like
1alnting and falling out Of the tree to be
eaten up.


Finding he couldn't climb such q slen-
oer trunk, the jaguar got down, drew back
2 little, md gave one great leap st me.
he couldn't jump to where was, though.
But he struck the tree high up, and for an
Instant clung to it, bearing IL over with
his weight till I thought FAh, NAV the
saints save u.s. my time has come ?


- Rut III was 0nlV for a mOuart IT. c,l1