Young Briton, No. 422 — page 14: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE YOUNG BRITON, As rust 4, 1877. A JAGUAR STORY, — “MH, senor, T see you’re determined to defy our climate, After the march that my husband led you through the woodsthis morning, one would have thought yon’d he glad of a ‘rest, and here I find you writing away like any - lawyer.’’ So spesks, glicing out with the supple grace of Spanish blood into the verandah in which I am seated, my charming hostess, Senora Diaz, ono of the most piquant little tropical beauties that Murillo ever dreamed of, though sadly marred by the custom (unbappily almost univerzal among the belles of Paraguay) of carrying in her smooth, olive cheek a quid of tobacco that would astonish a man-Of-war’s’ man, and ‘ chawing ” it ever and anon with the relish of a Down-Haster over a ‘* plug o’ real Jeamés’ Rivor,”’ ** Well, really, senora, after all the wonders I’ve seen in this fairy-land of yours, I had need write them down as fast as I see them, lest, as your proverb says, one nail should drive out another.”’ And in thij there is certainly no exaggera- tion. Senor Diaz’s ranche stands on a gentle slope, overlooking the broad, smooth sweep of one of the countless tributaries of the Parana, on the Opposite bank of which the wild grass surges up in one huge green waye to a height of ten or a dozen feet. ‘ The house itself is of the characteristic type common to all parts of Spanish America—he cool, shady verandah ; tke long, low front ; the painted walls and cross-barred windows; the spacious courtyard; the flat, parapeted roof ; giving quite a fortress-like appearance to the whole building, For several acres round it, the cultivated ground, like a battalion of soldiers in the heart of a mob, Gisplays its long, even lines of feathery sugar- cane and huge, oi i bananas, in striking contrast to the durk, impenetrable masses of un- tamed jangle that shut it in. A very paradise, in truth, werethere not a snake under every leaf by day, and more musquitoes than air to breathe at night. * You flatter our poor country, senor, with the courtesy of your nation. But as I see that you are putting by your writing, I will task your gallantry so far as to beg your helpin watering my flowers, for it is not easy for me, with my lame hand, to manage that great watering-pot.”’ * Be pleased to use my hands as those of your slave senora, When and wherever you may need them. By the bye, am I wreng inimagining that you promised me a story connected with the lam- ing Of the hand of which you speak? I would uot willingly be troublesome, but when you have leisure——”’ ‘* With pleasure, senor; it is very kind of you to interest yourself in such @ trifle. As soon as the plants are watered, I thall haye the honour of serving you acup of coffee on the balcony; and then, if you are good enough to care to hear it, the story is quite at your service.”’ And aceordingly, ten minuteg later, I find myself sitting in the verandah over a cup of euch coffee as I have not tasted since leaving Arabia, with little Lolita (Dolores), my hostess’ « only daughter and my especial pet, nestling at my side ; while the senora, deftly rolling up and lighting a paper Cigarette, begins as follows :— “When we first came here, senor, a good many years ago, the place was very different from what you see if. My husband had got a grant of land from the Government, which was glad to give away ground about here to any one who would take the trouble to clear it—and well if might! For in those days the mato (jungie) reached right down to the water’s edge, and such a black, horrid tangle if looked of briers, bamboos, Spanish bayonet, wild fig, liana, ‘pirijao, locust-wood, and what not, that I felt as if } daren’t even gos step into it for fear of being lost altogether. Bat my husband and his weons went manfully to work, chopping, felling, root- ing, fencing, digging, all day long, except just in the worst heat. and many a time I’ve seen them come back so tired out that they just dropped down to sleep where they were, and it was only when they woke up again, three or four hours later, that they had any thought of food. ‘However, luckily for us, there were. no Indians about {there except {the tame Indians, who behaved well enough, and used to bring us food, and dried meat in exchange for knives and aguardiente And as for the gnts, what with pOisoning them, and digging up their nests, and flooding their galleries with boiling water, we managed to get the better of them at last, though even now they sometimes make a foray upon us from the woods around, Butafter them came another pest that was far worse—the snakes. I need hardly tell you, who have been through the forests yourself, how they swarm there, and for a time I really gave myself up for lost. ‘My husband used to call them the fax- gatherers, and really they were quite as regular: not a day that we didn’t find one or two of them somewhere about the houge. And once—O San- tissima Madre!—what a fright I got! When Lolita was only a few months old, my husband and his men had gone out to their work one morning as usual, and I was busy in the house, with the child lying asleep on a wat at the other end of the room, when all at once I caught sight of s mouse’s skin on the floor, with the body sucked clean out of it likean orange. I knew at once that there must bea snake somewhere about, for they’re mighty fond of mice, and that’s just the way they deal with them; but, look asl might, I could see no snake anywhere, till suddenly the thought struck me—could it be under the child’s mat? As gently as 1 could | lifted up one corner, and there it was, the long, slimy, green and yellow beast, curled snugly up and fast asleep. What a start Igot! I ksew that Icould do nothing with it myself, for it was a sort that you can only kill by shoving them ; 20 I ran out into the courtyard, and, luckily, the first thing I saw was our hunter Jose, with his un of his shoulder. I called him at once, and he settled the beast with a charge of small shot. However, “‘as the work went on, and we got more and more ground cleared, our visitors bogan to foreake us; for snakes must have a thick cover to burrow in, and when that’s taken from them they soon slink off, So then I began to hope that wo were fairly at the end of ovr troubles ; but we weren’t—we were only at the beginning of them, “JT don’t know how it was—perhaps it may have been that, es the proverb says, everything must have its turn—bat somehow, all through our troubles with the ants and serpents, the bigger beasts had never disturbed us at all; but now, just as we were beginning to have a little peace from our other plagues, the four-footed gentle- men begau to come on the stage at last, ‘*‘Qne morning, just a8 we were at breakfast, in came One of our vaqueros with news that our cattle, while feeding among the long grazs on the other side of the river, had been attacked by a jaguar, and one of them killed. “« The fellow who brought the news had had to run for hia life, and would hardly have escaped had there been anything on him fit to eat, or had there not been a fat ox ready to hand instead. As it wae, he l.oked so thoroughly frightened (though he was a brave fellow enough), that it made us all rather serious. However, a week passed without any fresh alarm, and we were beginning to get Over it, when suddenly in came three or four Indians in a great flurry, to tell us that a huge |jaguar had broken into their encampment and kuled a woman and one of their dogs. ‘‘ When my husband heard the story he made sure that it was the same beast that had fallen upon ovr cattle ; for they described it as being of a very strange colour, far lighter than any that had ever been seem in those parts before, and from that they had nicknamed it ‘The Pale Death.’ So, then, we all thought it full time to do something ; and my husband called his men together to go out and hunt it down. ‘‘T remember that morning well, though it will be a year ago the day after to-morrow. Away they went merrily enovgh, every man with his gun and hunting-knife, and Moro, the bload- hound, along with them. My husband turned and kissed his hand to me just as they entered the wood, and then they were gone! ‘¢ When I found myself all alone in the house With Lolita, and though’ of what might happen if they met this horrible beast, I was go frightened, that (although I had no thought of any chance of danger to myself), I wasn’t satisfied till 1 had got fairly settled in my hiding-place when the great claws scraping the floor, and the hungry ‘sniff’ as the jaguar quested about in search of food. He came straight to the chest, and there stopped short a moment, as if suspecting a trap. Then he put his head close to the narrow opening, so that I could feel his hot breath on my face, snuffed once or twice to sati-fy himself, and then lion-roar, made my blood run col how I didn’t die outright ; but the touch of Lolita’s little arm, clinging round my neck, seemed to give me courage. it the voices of men calling to each other. were coming back. Meanwhile the jaguar seemed to get bewildered, and ran wildly up and down the inner gallery, shut and barred eyery door in the house; and then I came and sat down in the drawing-room, and took Lolitain my lap, and tried to tell her a story: ~ + - 4 ** Suddenly I heard a seraping along the roof, and then a cull thump, like the fall of some- thing heavy! Anxious and nervous as I war, it gave me @ terrible start, though I little dream: what it really was. But the next moment came a sound just overhead that 1 could not mistake— a long, hoarse roar, that I had heard many a time in the forest at night, and never heard with- out feeling my heart stand still, Then the thought struck me; ‘Oh, heaven—the jaguar !’” ‘¢Dios de mi alma ! I shall never forget tha moment ! For ons minute I was quite sick and helpless, as if all the life had been struck out of me at ono blow, and then a thought flashed upon me, Thoro was no keeping the jaguar out, for most of the doorways were only hung with cur- teins; but in the store-room close by there was a huge wooden corn-chest, nearly empty, and bi enough to hold six or seven people at once. I Lolita and I could only get in there, I thought, we might be saved yet ! ‘‘So I snatched up the ehild, ran with her into the store-room, and crouched down in the chest. Unluckily if closed with a spring-lock so that 1 had to keep the lid slightly open with my left hand, to avoid being shut down and stifled outright; but if had an overlapping edge several inches long, which quite covered my fingers. . ‘‘ T was not a moment too soon. Hardl had I heard tried to force the lid up with his paw ! ‘* Ay de mi! how I trembled! but, thank God, the great paw would nof go into the litile chink. Allhe could do wasto get his tongue in and lick my fingers, making them bleed as if they had been rasped witha saw. And then, what with the taste of blood, and what with hearing Lolita crying inside (for she, poor darling, wasas much frightened as I was), his fory was roused, and he began to roar, not an honest deep-mouthed but ‘a , SIP enarling» yell, tbat - Ugh! I can’t think * But the worst was still to come. Finding that he could not reach me from below, he sprang on the top of the cheat, crushing my hand between the lid and the upper edge. was Over, and gavea ecream that made the whole houge ring. hen I thought a'l ‘*My scream was alswered by a sound that made my heart leap—the distant cry of a blood- hound ! down and stood listening a moment, and then ran to the door, as if to escape. The jaguar heard it, too, for he leaped “There ft was again—much nearer—and with They ** Suddenly there came aloud shout at one of, the windows, and then two shots and a fright- ful yell; and then my hushand’s voice, strained to its loudest, ‘ Cachita ! where are you.’ **T just Managed to crawl to the door and let him in, and then I fainted outright. ~ “They told me afterwards that our bloodhound had struck the trail of the jaguar leading straight ‘toward the house, and then they all set off to run like madmen, fearing some harm fome. My husband and Jose distanced the rest, and came up just in time to shoot the beast through the window ; but he told me afterward, thas when he saw it rushing about inside, he felt like one under the collar of the garotte (the instrumentof ex:- cution. )’ ‘‘ As for my hand, it was so crushed that I couldn’s stir a joint of it for weeks after. The Indians doctored it for me, and they tell me I shall have the use of it again by-and-by; but I don’t need that to remind me of that day. If I live a thousaud years. I shall never forget it |” COMIC OOOKS:CO