Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1856-10-04
3 Gbtilling Skettb.
THE BABY STEALER OF THE NUN.
DYROOG.

A lady writer, in Chambers Journal, re-
ates the following incident of travel. She is
telling her adventures in India to one of her
Dieces-the very baby referred to. .
can old pagoda near Nundyroog was ten
ante6 by colony Of monkeys. Here, then,
we found ourselves one day pitched at some
distance from the ruin, to avoid monkey in.
trusion. AS there was no hamlet here, we
had brought all that was necessary to make
US comfortable for day or two; and our
trainl Of camp-followers was increased by
an aspirant for pagehood in little HyGer
Khan, the cowboy, who had professed
strong attachment for myself. 1t was de-
licous cool afternoon on which we repaired
with OF: sketching materials TO take separate
views of the pagoda which we found to be
one Of those edifices which betray mixture
OF Hindoo and Moorish arttecture so COM
mon in certain districts Of India or, perhaps
they are buildings whose origin is guessed at
from Jewish and Egyptian traditions. 1t
was, in its state Of robust dilapidation $50 to
speak, worthy of abler artists and the
creeping plants with which some Of it's but
tresses were clothed, whilst other portion ga
ped hungrily in stony gloominess, share and
bold, made it quite feature amidst the gras-
sy hillocks that surrounded it.. Your father
had stolen OFF with his gun; your mother was
seated in front of the temple, already busy !;
while the ayab with her little charge--your.
self, Culhbert-.accompane me TO the rear,
where n magnificent banyan.ree, now covered
with red MOSAIC figs, called for pictorial illus
trations at my hands. Hyden was ostensibly
our guardian but us hitherto few monkeys
had shown themselves, we began to suppose
they had gone, like ourselves, on picnic so
he wandered about, collecting berries in the
skirts Of the jungle, which here extended
close to the pagoda. How time passes when
one is thoroughly absorbed in n iAvorite pur-
suit, you may some day know. | forgot eve
rything; and though consciousness Of great
silence around struck me, did not think Of
looking to inquire why ayah and the baby
were so quiet.
'"The quiet, if natural, was broken by o
scream so unnaturaly fierce and shrill, that
for minute was too terrified, to look whence
it came. When did look beheld the ayah
still shrieking, ip pursuit Of what at first
believed to be human being. Where is my
child could not see it; and in another
moment flashed the terrible conviction on me
of the whole truth. rushed frantically Of.
! Ser the ayah and as she fell lifeless across my
path, neither stayed to pity nor to help her
| for there before me, but iow long PAGES,
was a hideous ape-you in its arms.
| The creature, in seeming enjoyment,
| kept at certain pace from me. still making
! into the iungle and the faster | followed,
the more speedily it trotted on; whilst at
last broke out your piteous little voice, almost
maddening to me. On and.on ! went--still
! through woods that began to thicken, so that
twilight was around me- Every device l
could hit on to arrest the steps Of malignant
creature, failed to have any other effect than
I to elicit dscordant chatter and when, at
last completely fatigued, almost fainting, |
! lost sight Of it in dense thcket which ! had
not strength to penetrate, | fairly gave way
and lying on the ground, cried bitterly; oh
more bitterly than l have ever done since.
But gave not way to the nervous hysteric
that threatened me- | felt that in this
matter there was nothing more that | coulc
do, and as | prayed for that higher Hell
which knew could do all, my spirit became
calmer, and l arose, determined as best
could to extricate myself from the jungle.
knew not what course to take--all were alike
to me-but none were so dense as that which
led in to the copse, amidst which the ape hao
disappeared, from which, indeed, no sounds
now proceeded save the monotonous AM
plaintive coo of the wood pigeon. l tool
then what seemed the least intricate track
where path was none, and ere many minutes
came upon opener glades, with more gras
than trees, and TO my joy beheld that the sui
was not yet below the horizon. This CAV
me courage, and l fastened on and on, till a
length the red and golden trial of the set Q
sun was all that remained Of day. Then
ouivered at the idea of being benighted there
and stopped for moment TO reflect. 4
sound struck on my ears--a faint cry-no
the coo of the dove, nor the cultural call @
the quail, ror the bark of the jackal. Again
; Surely it is IA childs voice or is the echo c
my little nephew's murmurs still in my ears
Mol for then follows the cracking chatter
of the monkey, and a thrill of hope made m
blood circulate resolved TO conceal mysel
to watch an opportunity, and ere the creatur
detected me, snatch the infant rom its grasI
and all risks. | crept behind thick busl
and presently, still carrying you, almost o
expertly as your ayah might have DONE tn
monkey appeared. In advance OF the lin
| it took was a grassy hollow, some PAGES iroi
the shrubs that screened me. To this
betook itself and laying its burden on u
ground, went through series OF grotesqu
= antics. which, under other circumstance
. | n,iuht have diyerted me- hut now terrified II