The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1879-04-24
A Morning Gall From A Panther.

"I suppose YOU'RE wondering why keep
that ugly old chest," said Mrs. R,
"and must own that it's not very orna-
mental; but it saved my life once, for all
that. l SEQ you think Pm making fun of
you, but Pm not, indeed !; and when you
hear the story, think you'll agree with
mo that have good reason to value it, ug-
ly as it looks. {,
"This was how it happened. When we
first came out to India, my husband was
sent to make the survey Of the Nerbudda
Valley, one OF the widest bits in all cen
trail India; and we really were, just at first
the only white people, within 40 or 80
miles. And such time as we had of 1t |
If my husband hadn't. been as strong as lie
is, and a perfect miracle OF patience as
well, don't know how we could have
stood VIVA. he had to do. 1t was dreadful
work for him, being up sometimes for a
whole night together, or having to stand
out i'll the burning sun, when the very
ground itself was almost too hot to touch
And as for the native workmen, l never
saw such a set, t,-always doing everything
wrong, and never liking anybody to put
them right. When the railway was being
made they used to carry the earth on their
heads in baskets and when Mr.. r.
tually carried them on their heads in the
same wayl I couldn't help laughing at it,
| though it was terrible provoking, too. And
that was just the;way they all were: if
there was wrong way of using anything
they'd be sure to find it out Even our
butler, or khit'nutgar who was much
| better than most of them, camo one day
| and begged pair of old decanter-labels
| that my husband was going to throw away !;
and when the man came In the next morn
ing, he had positively turned them into ear
| rings, and went about quite gravely with
Port in one ears and tShcrry in the
other -si sai.
"However, If the native men worried
me, the native beasts were 30 times worse.
It was no joke,I can assure you, to be
awaked in the middle Of the night by the
roar Of tiger close under the window or
| by an elephant crashing and tr,nnpeting
through the jungle with noise like q
mail-coaclr going full gallop into a hot
house. Well, as soon as that was over,
the jackals would set up squcaling and
whimpering like so many frightened child
ren and thena dreadful native bird, whose
name I've never found out Il suppose Be-
cause nobody could invent one bad enough
for it), would break out in succession of
the most horrible cries just like somebody
being murdered, until the noise nearly
drove me wild. tse t G,U e6s
And then the antsl but, you've seen
them for yourself, and needn't tell you
about them. But all this while I'm neg
lecting my story. h33i s@ II. gGl.
cone day Ut will be long enough before
forget it) my husband was out as usual at
/ his work, and the nurse had gone down to
1 the other native servants at the end of the
compound, as we, call this big inolosure /;
and 4 was left alone In the house with my
little Minnie yondor, who was then just
about q year DID, by this time l. had got
over my first fears and didn't mind bit
being left by myself indeed all the lower
windows having bars across them, i thought
that I was safe enough; hut j little
dreamed of what was coming
81 must have been slt ling over my seew-
ing nearly an hour, " ith the child playing
about the floor beside me when suddenly
heard a dull thump overhead, as IL so.s