Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1879-05-01
4 Morning CnII rom Panther.

ornamental; but IL saved my life once,
for all that. see you think I'm making
fun of you, but I'm not. indeed and when
you hear the story, | think you'll agree
with me that have good reason Ia value
[ it, ugly rs 1t looks.
This was how it happened. When
we first came out to India, my husband
was sent to make the survey Of the Ner-
budda Valley, one Of the widest bits in
all Central India; and we really were.
Just at first, the only white people within
/ forty or fifty miles. And such "A time ~
we had of it, IL my husband hadn't
been as strong as lac j., and perfect
miracle Of patience n well. | don't know
how hc could have stood wlst lie had to
do. 1t was dreadful work fuf him, being
up sometimes for a whole night together.
or having To stand out in the burning sun.
when the very ground itself was almost
too hot 10 touch. And ~ for the native
workmen. ! never saw such sct-always
doing everything wrong, and never liking
anybody to put them right. When the
railway was being made they used 10
carry the earth on their heads in baskets
and when Mr.. r served out wheel
barrows to them, they actually carried
them on their heads in the same way!
could not help laughing ut 1t, though il
was terribly 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 il out. Even our
butler, or khiimui0dr. who was much
better than most of them. came one day
and begged pair Of old decantcr- labels
that my husband was going Ia throw
away and when the man came in next
morning, he had positively turned them
into earrings. and went about quite
graycly with Port In one ear aud
Sherry in the other
However. II the native men worr -
me. the native beasts were fifty time,
worse. II was no joke. can assure YOU,
to ho awakened in the middle Of the night
by the roar Of n tiger close under the win
dow. or by An elephant crashing and
tTumpetng through the Jungle with 4
noise like u mail coach going full gallop
into a dollhouse Well. n soon n that
was over, the jackals would SGT up n
squcnling and whimpcring like 50 many
frightened children; and then n dreadful
native bird. whose name I've never found
out q suppose because nobody could in
vent one bad enough for iO. would break
out in n succession uf the most horrible
Cries--iust like somebody being murdered
until the noise fairly drove me wild.
And thcn the ants hut you've seen
them fnI yourself. and needn't tell you
about them. But all this while I'm neg
Letting my story.
One day (it will hc long enough b.
fore ! forget I'D my husband was out ~
usual ai his work. and the nurse had gone
down To the other native servants ut the
other end Of the compound rs we call
this big Enclosure. and | was lcft alone
in,ihc house with my little Minnie yun-
der. who was then Just about wear old.
By this time | had got over nv first
fears. and didn't mind bit being lefl hy
myself; indeed. all the lower windows
having bars across them, thought that
! was safe enough; but | little dreamed
of what was coming.
Il must have been sitting over nv
sewing nearly an hour. with the child
PLAYING about the floor besides me. when
suddenly heard n dull thump overhead.
a. if something had fallen upon the roof
! didn't think anything Of II at the mo-
mcnt, for one soon gets uscd to All SORTS
of strange sounds in the Indian Jungle:
but. presently, thought could hear a
heavy breathing in the next room but
one. and then | began to feel frightened
in earnest. rose A. softly n | could.
and crept 20 the doorway between the
rooms. This doorway was only closed
by curtain. and gently pulling aside the
folds. pccped through-and found my
self within few PAGES of the largest
panther had ever seen inmy life.
For one moment IL was Just ~ IL
had been frozen stiff, and then the
thought came 10 me just as If somebody
had spoken IL: The big chest
knew that this chest would hold me
and my child easily. and that could
leave n chink Of the lid open To let us
breathe, for the overlapping &c ge would
save my fingers from the panther.
In n second ] had il all clear before me
but had the brute not stopped short ri
sight OF the curtain, | should never have
had chance of trying It. Luckily for
me, the Indian panther. savage rs he Is
Is n terrible coward. and suspicious as
any detective. I've seen one 90 round
and round trap for more than half an
hour, before he made up his mind to
spring nj the bait. So. while my friend
was puzzling himself over the curtain.
and wondering whether IL was meant for
n trap or not. | took up Minnie (who.
| poor little pet. seemed to know there was
something wrong. and never uttered n
sound) and into the chest I crcpt, making
aslittle noise as could
was hardly settled there when
heard the sniiT-snin of the panther
coming right up TO where I lay, and.
through the chink that had left open.
/ the hot, foul breath came steaming in
/ upon my face, almost making me sick.
IL seemed 20 bring my heart into my
mouth when I heard his great claws
scraping the edge Of the lid, and trying
to lin 1t up f; but. happily. the chink was
too narrow for his paw 10 enter. But If
the paw couldn't, the tongue could and
! soon Inc began to lick my fingers. rasping
them so that hardly knew how 10 bear
/ 1t. Still. the touch Of Minnie's little
arm around my neck seemed to give me
courage.
But there was far worse than this to
como; for the panther suddenly lcaped
right on top of the chest. and his weight
| pressed down the heavy lid upon my
/ fingers, until the pain was so terrible
that, unable 90 stand Il any longer,
! crpamcd with all my might.