Holly Springs gazette., 1844-04-20
= sroRY or : PANTHER.

OR a SOLDIER IN THE DE-ohIt /.

Turjnq the entcrprising exPedluon INC
TroDor Fgvpr. bv General DessaIX prov
iociaI soldier fell into the power OF tfIo'
ofArabs. called AlaugrabIns and was oJ
tbem carried into the desert, beyond the cat
aract of the Nile. In ORDER % place sale
d;stance between themselves and the tfenc
ormv the Naurrabins made forced march
md did not stop till night c.osed IN. hey
encamned around fountain surrounded by
nalm trees. Not suPposing their prisonell
Ivouid attempt 10 escape they contenteo
themselves with merely binding his hands
and afer having ftd their horses, and made
their sumner upon dates, they all q them
slert eouudIv. As soon aa the French pfIs-
.nrfr was convinced o. This fact, be began 70
cn.vy the cords that bound hIm, and soon
re- aimed the liberty Of his hands' lie st'%-
eda carbiue. and took the precaulon 70
nroyide himself with some dry dgles' a'iu /"
inde bao of grain, and armed with scImi-
,,r s+,rIed off in the direction OF the French
army. .ra.o &C
In his ca qerncss to arrive at pace o.
..c-t,, he urged the already wearled NOISE
until the generous animal teii down oeac'
and left his rider alone IN the midst OF the
desert For a long time the Frenchi'ah
walked on with the perseverance oi d Iu'd'
,,.a,, sl.ve but he was at last obliged to stop
The dav was finished; Notwithstanding Tue
beautv and freshness Of oriental nights ne
lid not feel strength enough 10 Tursue ms
;o,,rDcv Having reached a little cluster
of Mains which had gladdened MS hea'''
from distance, he lad hls head upon
stone anI slept without taking any pFecaU-
tion for his defence.
He was awakened BY the pitiless rays OF
the sun, which fell upon him with Intolera-
bic fervor: for in his weaTlness he had re
posed or the side opposite to the morning |!
shadows of he majestic palm. The pros
meet around. filed him with despair. In /
every direction nothing met his eye but
wide ocean of sand, sparkling and glanclng
like dagger in the sunshine. The pure
brilliancy of the sky left the Imagination
nothing 10 desire. Not a Cloud obscured IT'S
sDlendor, not a zephyr moved the surface OF
the desert The earth and the heavens
seemed on fre-they met at the horizon IN
a line Of light, as fine and glluering as the
edge of a sword. There was wild and
awful majesty in the universal stiffness +
God in all his ipfnity, seemed present 10
the soul
The desolate wanderer thought of the
fountains and roses Of his own native prov
ince. and we7t aloud. He clasped the palm.
rs If il had been living friend. Iie shout
ed to relieve the forgetiulness OF utter soil
tude. The wide wilderness sent back
sharp sound from the distance; but no echo 1
was awakened. The echo was in his heaItl
With melancholy steps he walked a.
round the eminence or which the palm
trees grew. To his great JOY. he discover
I'd nIhe opposite siIe, a sort ofnatural grot-
10 formed BY a pile Of granite.-Hope was q
awakened in his breast The palms would c
furnish him with dates for food, aud human 1
beings might come that way before they
were exhausted Perhaps another party of t
whose wandering life began to
have some charms for his ima gina.ion-or .
he might hear the noise of approaching can !
non-for Bonaparle was then passing over ,
Egypt The Frenchman experienced '
sudden transition from deepest despair TO the Q
widest ioy lie occupied himself during
he day with cutting down some of the palm L
rees TO defend the mouth of the grotto a. n
yainst wild beasts, which would probably C
ZONE in the nigh, time to drink at the rivu
let flowing at the foot Of the palms. Not e
the eagerness produced by fear r.
II being devoured in his sleep, he could not a
inish his fortications during the day To- s.
wards evening, the mighty tree he had been b
uuing, fell to the ground with crash that II
esounded through the desert, as if solitude n
lad uttered deep groan. ft
The soldier trembled as if there had been n
Supernatural voice in the air. But like I
n heir, who soon ceases TO mourn over tr
ich parent, be Immediately began to strip al
If The broad and beautiful leaves to form W
is couch for the night Fatigued by his ct
xeTtioHs and the extreme warmth of the eli 81
late. he soon fell into a profound Slumber. W
a the middle of the night his sleep was sud VI
enly disturbed by an extraordinary noise. e,
le raised himself and listened-and amid lii
le deep silence he distinctly heard the loud
reathing Of some powerful ANIMAL The th
und fell upon his heart I:ke ice The hi
lir started upon his head, aud be strained "a
S eyes to the utmost to perceive the object fe,
his terror He caught the glimpse of v;
10 faint yellow lights at a distance from ro
m; he thought il might be an optical de-
sion. produced by his own earnest gaze. fac
It as the rays of the moon entered the sio
links of he cave he distinctly saw an e tig
rmous animal LAYING about two feet from sol
m. There was not sufficient light to dis of;
guish what species of animal it was; 1t mes
Oht he n lion a tioer or n crorodile. buf I'D,