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

Y made the soldier tremble, especially, wher
4 the mighty beast moved towards him.
1 With great boldness and presence of minC
t he looked her directly in the eye, having
often heard that great power may be obtain.
, ed over animals in that manner. When
5 she came up to him he gently scratched hel
J head and smoothed her fur. Her eyes
, gradually softened-she began to wag he1
tail, and at last she purred like petted cat
| but so deep and strong were her notes OF
; Joy that they resounded through the cave
like the rolling of a church organ.
The Frenchman redoublcd his caresses,
and when he thought her ferocity was suf-
ficiently tanned he attempted to leave the
grotto. The panther made no opposition to
his going out; but she soon came bounding
after him, lifting up her back and rubbing
against his legs, like an afectionate kitten.
''She requires a great deal Of attention. -
said the Frenchman smiling He tried to
feel her ears and throat; and, pcrceiving
she was pleased with it, he began to tickle
the back Of her head with the point of his
dagger. hoping to find favorable opportu-
nifty to stab her; but the hardness of the
bones made him tremble lest he should not
succeed
The beautiful Sultana of the Desert seem
ed to tempt the courage of her prisoner, by
raising her head, stretching out her neck,
and rubbing against him. The soldier sud-
denly thought that to kill her with one blow
he must strike her in the throat. He rails
ed his blade for that purpose; but at that
moment she crouched down gently at his
feet, looking up into his face with strange
mixture OF attectiOnate and native ferconess.
The poor Trenchman leaned against the
tree eating dates, and casting his eye anxi-
ously round the desert, to see if no one was
coming to free him from his terrible COM
'ranion, whose strange friendship was so
little to be trusted. He offered to feed her
with nuts and dates: but she looked upon
them with supreme contempt. However,
as if sensible to his kind intentions, she
licked his shoes and purred
''NlIl it be so when she gets hungry 2"
thought the Ercnchman. The idea made
him tremble. lie looked at the size of the
panther. She was three feet high: and four four
as round as a great cudgel-
Her head was as big as lions, and her
face was distinguished by apeculiar express
sion of cunning The cold cruelty Of the
tiger reigncd there; but there was likewise
something strangely like the countenance Of
an artful woman in the gaicty and tond
Of the present moment. She seemed like
Nero drunk. She had her fill Of blood, and
she wished to frolc.
During the whole day, if he attempted to
walk away, the panther watched him as a
dog does his master, and never suffered him
to be far out of sight. He discovered the
remains of his horse, which had been drag
ced near the mouth Of the cavern. and he
easily understood why she had respected his
slumbcrs.
!! Taking courage from the past, he began
to hope he could get along very comfortably
with his new companion. He laid himself
bv her, in order to conciliate her good OPT
Mon. lie pattod her neck and she began to
wag her tail and purr. He took hold Of hcl
paws, felt her over on the grass. She SUI
fered him to do all this: and when he play
ed with her paws, she carefully drew in hel
claws lest she should hurt him. The French,
man again put his hand upon his weapon
with a view of plunging it in her throat, bu
| he was still held by the fear that he should
: not succeed, and that the animal would tca1
| him in pieces in her agony. Besides, he
, really began to have an unwillingness to Kill
' her. In the lonely desert she seemed to hin
4 like friend. His admiration of her beau
ty, gentleness and graceful activity becam
: mixed with less and less Of terror. lie ac
S tualv named her Mignonne, i'll remembrance
/ Of lady whom he had loved in his youth
b and who was abominably jealous OF him
: BY the end of the day he had become SO ia
e niliar with his dangerous situation that h
was almost in love with its exciting peri!s
4 He had even taught the panther her name
n She looked up in his face when he Gale
J, "Mi@nonne."
t When the sun went down, she uttered
d deep melancholy cry. "She is we'll educa
;: ted" exclaimed the gay soldier; ''she ha
It learned to say her evening prayers"
G He was rejoiced to see the panther stretc
a herself out in a drowsy attitude.
$ s'That is right, my pretty little blonde,
e said he; 'tyou had better 60 to sleep first.
l. He trusted to his own activity to cscaL
t. during her slumber. He waited patientl,
d and when she seemed sound asleep, he wall
: ed vigorously toward the Nile. But he ha
5, not gone a quarter of q league over the sane
;, when he heard the panther bounding afte
1t him, uttering at intervals a loud, sharp CRY
.e ssOf TRUTH said he, cher friendship
= very fattering; it must be her first love
ID Before she came up the Frenchman fell il
ct to ore of those dangerous traps of loose san
At from which it is impossible to extricate one
,r self. The panther seized him by the cola
r and with incredible strength brought hi
safe to the other side of the ditch at a sing
c bOunl