m 11 
THE STORY OF THE JAGUAR. 
Once, when in South America, I witnessed an entire village thrown into 
a state of terror by a jaguar. The animal had been without food for many 
days, and starvation had made it desperate. It descended upon the village 
at night, and while prowling around in search of human prey it entered a 
church, the door of which stood upon. 
Early in the morning a priest entered the building when the gaunt and 
famished creature sprang upon him, killing him instantly. A second priest 
who followed soon after met the same fate, but a third, warned by the deep 
growls and the horrible sound made by the animal in crunching the bones 
of his victims, made his escape and gave the alarm. 
In a few moments a large force of natives assembled and surrounded 
the church, but no one dared to enter, for it was impossible to locate the 
position of the beast. Finally a venturesome hunter and myself climbed 
to the top of the building and removed a portion of the roof. We saw 
the fierce animal crouched over the prostrate body of a priest, which was 
so frightfully mangled that there was no question the victim was dead. The 
eyes of the jaguar were shining like balls of green fire. The native hunter 
and I fired together. My bullet struck the murderous beast in the right 
eye and the other shot hit him just behind a fore leg. Then the natives rushed 
in and vented their rage on his dead carcass. 
129 
