or more natives were with us. The
human mind can scarce form any idea of the scene of horror. We had
hardly pushed our boat from that accursed shore, when the tigress made
her appearance, almost raging mad, and remained on the sand, exhibiting
signs of the utmost ferocity, all the while we continued in sight."

There is an account given of a small party who entered a cave, to seek
shelter from a terrible storm, in South America. The storm raged with
such violence, that they could not hear each other speak; the
cedar-trees were struck down, and the torrents of rain rushed from the
mountains. Suddenly a growling noise was heard at the end of the cave.
They soon found, to their amazement and horror, that they had taken
refuge in a tiger's cave, and that the growling proceeded from two young
cubs. At this moment the Indians who attended them gave the alarm that a
tiger was approaching. The Indians mounted a tree, and the party in the
cave blocked up the mouth of it with a large and heavy stone, which
fortunately lay near. A dreadful roar was heard, which was replied to by
the growling of the two cubs, and the flaming eyes of a tremendous tiger
were seen glowing with fury between the top of the stone and the rock
just above it. The tiger attempted to remove the stone, but his
prodigious strength was unequal to the attempt, and he howled more
tremendously than before. Several of the party had leveled their muskets
and pistols at the head of the tiger, through the narrow opening left by
the stone; but the storm had damped the powder, and the pieces could not
be discharged. The young cubs were then killed and thrust through the
hole to the tiger on the outside, who, after turning them over and
examining them, broke afresh into the wildest fury. The Indians
discharged several arrows at the infuriated animal, but his thick skin
repelled them. The storm ceased, and the thunder was heard only in the
distance, but the tiger laid himself down at the mouth of the cave. In a
short time a roar was heard near, which was answered by the tiger, who
sprang up directly on his feet. The Indians in the tree gave a wild
shriek, as a tigress bounded toward the cave. The howling of the two
animals, after the tigress had examined her cubs, was truly terrible,
and every one in the cavern gave himself over for lost. A powder-flask,
containing their whole stock of gunpowder, had been upset in turning out
the young cubs, so that they were reduced to de