The mountain sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1844-1853, 1851-07-17

Sented Dy darung ATS poisoned fang IN the inya-
der's face. These insidious foes, and proba-
bility of struggle with some carniverous den
izen of the glen, suggest strong doubts as to
the security of your woodland abode, and damp
the pleasure the scene otherwise might afford.
And thus surely dc we find that, in nature as
I in life, under the most lovely and enhancing
aspects often lurk the most seductive and dead
ly influences. The prospect loses nothing at
night, when efulgent with the pensive moon
beams, and the myriads of fre-fies like
/ living stars broke loose from the dominion of
old night, delighted with their new-found liber-
ty, and dancing in perfect jubilee of joyous
! light through the empowering arcades, illumin-
J ating every note of forest-life; and on the one
side is heard the amorous roar Of the antelope's
midnight suitor, pending to the crashing
march of the gregarious elephant; and on the
other the nightly concert of pack of jackalls,
resembling so closely the music of those s'de-
lightful' babies, that it is only by continuous
rehearsals the ear can receive them with indiff-
erence-render the whole indescribably magni-
fcent, though rather trying to delicate nerves
All such sublimity and active life, however,
were now absent; not living creature was to
be seen, and actuated by some indefnable i'm
pulse, involuntarily clutched my rife. Scarce
ly had l done so, when an agonizing shrek
re-echoed through the forest; rushing in the
direction, encountered sight that struck Inc
with horror and dismay-for a moment stood
paralyzed.
Brahmin, with his wife and only daughter,
were making pilgrimage to the banks of the
sacred Ganges. With the characteristic indiff-
erence of their caste, they had incautiously
halted in the midst of the jungle to cook some
rice. The little girl, while the mother was oc-
cupied in preparing the frugal meal, had
thoughtlessly wandered into the long grass in
quest of some gaudy insect fitting past; Oh
sudden the father, who had thrown himself
on the ground to snatch few moments repose,
was aroused by the screams of his child, and,
regaining his feet, perceived a full grown chec-
tab in the act of springing on his tender girl.
To see, and rush to her rescue, armed only with
| a knife, was the work of an instant he arrived
too late to arrest the tiger he made his rarely
missing, and'in this case fatal spring on the
beautiful and dark-bosomed maid. A terrible
struggle now ensued, the infuriated animal re-
! laxed its grasp of the child, and fastened on
| the father. The tender and loving wife, now
only fully awakened to the extent of the danger,
forgetting her sex, insensible to aught but her
| husbands peril, recklessly rushed forward, but
ere she could reach the spot to become third
| victim to the insatiate monster, the providen-
tial fight of bullet from a strangers rifle,
penetrating the animals brain, stretched him
dead at her feet. The brave husband on ap-
preaching the spot, lay extended OH the grass
in the last agonies of death, dreadfully mangled,
the brute having torn away the greater part of
his brain and face. The child had already cx-
pired.
Never can L forget the calmness and appa-
rently stoical indifference of this Indian woman
while her husband lay extended before her, gas
ping his last. She supported his head, gently
| wiping the blood from his face and lips: no
| sign OF her feelings could be detected in her
| features. gazed upon her with astonishment;
I but no sooner was 1t evident that death had
effectually terminated theloved ones sufferings,
than she gave way to the most frantic and heart
rending expressions of grief The anguish of
that woman death alone can obliterate from my
mem ory--words can not picture it. see her
before me as l write, alternately embracing the
lifeless and bloody bodies of her husband and
| child, layishing over them the most tender en-
dearing invocations of affection, then as sud-
| denly turning round and seizing the crimson
| knife of her heroic husband, plunged it again
and again into the body of the insensible ami
NAL, uttering all the time the most fearful and
violent imprecations of despair and anguish.
1t was with the greatest difficulty she could
at length be removed from the tragic scene and
confided to the care of some neighboring villa
| gers. had occasion to revisit the same scene
| some few months after, and found the bereayed
wife, but, indeed, how changed l could hard
ly recognise her. Day and night, 1 was in
formed, she wandered about calling on her
husband and child. A Deep settled gloom, be-
yond any thing ever witnessed, was upon her
features; her eyes had wandering, restless
| expression She knew me Immediately, and
talked in the most pathetic strain of her hap
! less child and husband. Poor creature. tried
| to console her, but in vain. She said, her only
wish was, as soon as the monsoon, or rainy
season abated, to prosecute her journey to the
I Ganges, and die by its sacred stream. 1 re-
monstrated with her On this folly, and explained
to her the divine truths of Christianity. All in
vainl She was fixed in her resolution; and
when pointed to the heavens, and spoke q