The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1879-04-25
5Misccll a11en11s.
Life in the Jungle.
A MORNING CALL FROM A PANTHER.

that ugly old chest" said Mrs. R "and /
must own that it's not very ornamental; but
it 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'lagree with me that | have good reason to
value it, ugly rs 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 Central India !;
and we really were, just at first the only
white people within forty or fifty miles. And
such time as we had oft. 1fmy husband
hadn't been as strong as he is, and a perfect
miracle of patience as well, l don't know how
he could have stood what he had to do. 1t
was dreadful work for him, being up some
times for whole night together, or having
to stand out in the burning sun, when the
very ground itself was almost too hot to
touch. And as for the native workmen, |
never saw such a set,-always doing every
thing wrong, and never liking anybody to
put them right. When the railroad was be-
ing made they used to carry the earth on
their heads in baskets; and when Mr.. r.
served out wheelbarrows TO them, they actu-
ally carried them on their heads in the same
way couldn't help laughing at it, though
it was very provoking, too. And that was
just the way they all were. If there was q
wrong way of using anything they'd be sure
| to find it out Even our butler, or khitnlutgar,
who was much better than most of them,
came one day and begged pair ofold decan-
| ter-labels that my husband was going 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 p!
| However, if the native men worried me,
the native beasts were fifty times worse. 1t
was no joke, | can assure you, to be awaken
ed in the middle of the night by the roar of a
| tiger close under the window, or by an ele-
plant crushing and trumpeting through the
jungle with a noise like mailcoach going
full gallop into dollhouse. Well, as soon
as that was over, the jackals would set up a
squealing and whimpering like so many
frightened children; and then a dreadful ma
tive bird, whose name I've never found out
| Il suppose because nobody 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 ants but you've seen them
for yourself and | needn't tell you about
them. But all this while I'm neglecting my
| story.
Zone day Gt will be long enough before l
|
work, and the nurse had gone down to the
other native servants at the end of the "com-
pound" as we call this big Enclosure and
was left alone in the house with my little
Minnie yonder, who was just about n year
old. By this time | had got over my first
fears, and didn't mind bit being left by my
self; indeed, all the lower windows having
bars across them, thought that / was safe
enough; but / little dreamed of what was
coming
81 must have been sitting over my sewing
nearly an hour, with the child playing about
the floor beside me, when suddenly l heard a
dull thump overhead, as if something had fall
len 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 jun
gle; but, presently, | thought could hear a
heavy breathing in the next room but one,
and then | began to feel frightened in earnest.
| rose as softly as | could, and crept to the
doorway between the rooms This doorway
was only closed by a curtain, and gently pull
ing aside the folds, | peeped through-and
found myself within few PAGES of the largest
panther had ever seen in my life.
"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 it,
The big chestp
81 knew that this chest would hold me and
my child easily, and that | could leave a
chink of the lid open to let us breathe, for the
overlapping edge would save my fingers from
the panther. In second had it all clear be-
fore me but had the brute not stopped short
at sight of the curtain, | should never have
had n chance of trying it. Luckily for me,
the Indian panther, savage as he is, is q terri
BILE coward, and suspicious as any detective.
I've 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 puzzlng himself over the curtain,
and wondering whether it was meant for a
trap or not, took up Minnie (who, poor lit
tie pet, seemed to know there was something
wrong, and never uttered sound) and into
the chest crept, making as little noise as |
could.
81 was hardly settled there when heard
the 'snitf-snitf of the panther coming right
up to where lay, and, through the chink that
had left open the hot, foul breath came
steaming in upon my face, almost making ME
sick. 1t seemed to bring my heart into my
mouth when | heard his great claws scraping
the edge of the lid, and trying to lift it up
but, happily, the chink was too narrow for
his paw to enter. But if the paw couldn't
the tongue could and soon he began to lick
my fingers, rasping them so that hardly
knew how to bear it, STILL the touch OF
Minnie's little arm around my neck seemed
to give me courage.
"But there was far worse than this to come
for the panther suddenly leaped 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 to stand it any longer,
| screamed with all my might.
"The scream was answered by shout from
just outside, in which l recognized my hus-
bands voice The panther heard it, too, and
it seemed to scare him, for he made dash for
the window, either forgetting or not noticing