Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1856-08-21

solder, caressing her with enthusiasm; 'our
friendship is for life and DEATH
Ee retraced his steps. Now he had a
creature that loved him, to whom he could
talkait seemed as if the desert were peopled.
Having made signal flag of his shirt, he
conduded to wait patiently for human sue
corf 1t was his intention to have watched
during the night, but sleep overpowered
him. When he awoke Mignonne was gone.
He ascendod the eninence to look for her,
and soon perceived her at distance clear
ing 'he desert with those long bounds pccu-
liar to her species. She arrived with bloody
jaws When receiving his caresses she pur-
red aloud, and fixed her eyes upon him with
evenmore fondness than usual. The SOL
dier patted her neck, and talked to her as
he would to domestic animal: s'Ah, ah,
Mlsss you have been eating some of the
Maugrabins. Amt you ashamed ? Never
mind; they are worse animals than you are
But please don't take fancy to grind up a
Frenchman. If you do, you wont have me
to love you any more.'
This singular animal was so fond of caress-
es and play that if her companion set many
minutes without noticing her, she would put
her paws In his lap to attract attention.
Several days passed thus.
excursions for food, and always returned
full of affection and JOY: she became used
to al. the infections Of the soldiers voice,
and understood the expression of his face.
Sometimes he amused his weary hours by
counting the spots on her golden fur, and
observing how beautifully they were shaded;
she showed no displeasure even when he
held aer by the tail, to count the splendid
black and white rings that glittered in the
sunshine like precious stones. 1t was
pleasure to look upon the graceful outlines
of hsr form, the glossy smoothness of her
nee. and the majestic carriage of her head
But 7he delighted him most when she was
In role. Her extreme gracefulness and
agility as she glided swiftly along, jumped,
bounced, and rolled over and over, was tru-
ly surprising. When she was darting up
the rtcky eminence at her swiftest speed,
she Is,nld stop suddenly and beautifully,
with gad erect. as s9on ra4 a4s the EsA,sf.leesn7
the ~ over their heads In the desert any
thing THAT has life is intensely interesting.
The Frenchman quilted the panther to watch
the fight of the bird, as he slowly and hea
vily famed the air In few minutes the
Sultana of the Desert began to growl. "She
is certainly jealous thought the soldier, as
he looked at her fierce and glittering eyes.
They gazed intelHgibly at each other-and
the proud co1uctte leapod as she felt his
hand upon her head; her eyes flashed like
lightning, and she shut them hard.
THE creature must have soulr' ex-
claimed the Frenchman.
This account was given ne by the soldier
himself, while was admiring the docility OF
the powerful animals in the menageric at
Paris. Il do not know continued the ma
rator, ''what [ had done to displease Mig
nonne so much-or whether the creature
was merely in sport-but she turned and
snapped her teeth at me, and seized hold OF
nv leg. She did it without violence-but
thinking she was about to deyour me. |
plunged my dagger into her neck. The
poor creature rolled over uttcring a cry that
iroze my heart She made no attempt tc
revenge my blow. but looked mildly upon
me in her dying agony. / would have CIV
en- all the world to have recalled her to life
It was as if [ had murdered friend. Some
! French soldiers, who discovered my signal
found me some hours afterWard weeping by
the side of her dead body.
"Ah, WE'LL" said he, after mournful 81
lence, Il have been in wars in Germany
Spain, Prussia and France, but [ never have
seen anything that produced such sensation
as the desert. Oh, how beautiful it was y
"3That feelings did it excite?' asked I.
''Feclings that are not to be spoken, " re
piled the soldier solemnly. Il do not al
, ways regret my cluster of palm trees and m
panther; but sometimes their remembrance
makes ne sad; in the desert there is every
| thing and there is nothing"
"What do you mean by that" said [.
Il cannot tell" said he impatiently. Al
ter pause he added, "God is there withou
| manr'