Louisiana capitolian. (Baton Rouge, La.) 1879-1881, 1879-04-12
A WOMAN'S PERIL.

A WOMAN'S PERIL.
II suppose you are wondering why l
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. see You think I am making
fun of you, but Pm not, indeed; and
when you hear the story, think you'll
agree with me that have good reason
to value it, ugly as it looks.
"This is 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
Central India; and we really were, at
first, the only white people within forty
or fifty miles. And such time as we
had of it Ifmy husband hadn't been
as strong as he is, and perfect miracle
of patience as well, / don't see how he
could have stood what he had to do. 1t
was dreadful work for him, being up
sometimes for whole night together, or
having to stand ont in the burning sun,
when the very ground itself was almost
too hot to touch. And as for the native
wOrkmen, | never saw such set-al-
ways 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. served out
whcelbarrows to them, they actually
carried them on their heads in the same
way! l couldn't help laughing at it,
though it was terribly provoking, too.
And that was just the way they all were.
if there was a wrong way of using any
thing they'd be sure to find it out. Even
our Butler, or khitmurgar, who was
much better than most of them, came
one day and begged an old pair of de-
canter labels that my husband was 60
ing to throw away; and when the man
came in next morning, he had positively
turned them into earrings, and went
about quite gravely with "Port" in one
ear and "Sherry" in the other
"However," if the native men worried
me, the native beasts were fifty times
worse. 1t was no joke, can assure you,
to be awakened in the night by the roar
of tiger close under the window, or
by an elephant crashing and trumpeting
through the jungle with noise like a
mail-coach going at full gallop into d
hot house. Well, as soon as that was
over the jackals would set up a squeal-
ing like SO many frightened children
and then dreadful native bird, whose
name have never found out q suppose
because no one could invent one bad
enough for it) would break out in sue
cession of the most horrible cries-just
like somebody being murdered-until
the noise fairly drove me wild.
"And then the aunts but you've seen
them for yourselves, and l needn't tell
YOU about them. But all this while Pm
neglecting my story.
zone day Git will be long enough be-
fore forget it9 my husband was out as
usual at his work, and the nurse had
gone down to the other native servants
at the end of the compound as we call
this big enclosure; and was left alone
in the house with my little Minnie yon-
der, who was then just about year old.
BY this time l had got over my first
fears, and didn't mind bit being left
by myself; indeed, all the lower win
dows having bars across them, / thought
that l was safe enough; but l little
dreamed of what was coming.
'Tmust have been sitting over my
sewing nearly an hour, with the child
playing about the floor beside me, when
suddenly heard dull thump overhead,
as if something had fallen upon the
roof. didn't think anything Of it at
the moment, for one soon gets used to
all sorts of strange sounds in the Indian
Jungle; but presently, though lit could
hear heavy breathing in the next
room, and then l began to feel fright
ened in earnest. l rose as softly as !
could and crept to the doorway between
the rooms. This doorway was only
closed by curtain, and gently pulling
aside the folds, peeped through-and
found myself within few PAGES Of the
largest panther l had ever seen.
"For one moment it was just as if
had been frozen stiff, and then the
thought came to me just as if somebody
had spoken 1.-THE big chest"
81 knew that this chest would hold
me and my child easily, and l could
leave chink of the lid open to let us
breathe, for the overlapping edge would
save my fngersfrom the panther. In a
second had it all clear before me; but
had not the brute stopped short at sight
of the curtain, l should never have had
chance of trying it. Luckily for me
the Indian panther, savage as he is, is
q terrible coward, and suspicious as any
detective. Ihave seen one go round and
round trap for more than half an hour
before he made up his mind to spring at
the bait. So, while my friend was puz-
cling himself over the curtain, and won
dering whether it was meant for trap
or not, l took up Minnie who, poor lit