The Democratic advocate., 1879-03-29
Ghinos abroad.
LIFE IN THE JUNGLE.
A MORNING CALL FROM A PANTHER

n hVhNlNu GALL FROM A PANTHER.
81 suppose you're wondering why keep
that ugly old chest, said Mrs. II. "and /
must own that it 5 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'll agree with me that |
have good reason to value it, ugly 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 Indiai aud we really were, just at first,
the only white people within forty or fifty
miles. And such time as we had of il.
If my husband hadn't been as strong as he
is, and perfect miracle of patience as
well, don't know 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
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 set,-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.. X. served
out wheelbarrows to them, they actually
carried them on their heads in the same
way could MT help laughing at it,
though it was very provoking, too Aud
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 khitHtutgdr, who was much bet
ter than most Of them, came one day and
begged pair Of old decanterlabels 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 quito gravely with "Port"
in one ear aud "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 middle of the night by
the roar ofa tiger close under the window
or by an elephant crashing and trumpeting
through the jungle with noise like mail
coach going full gallop into hot-house.
Well, as soon as that was over, the jackals
would set up squealing and whimpering
like so many frightened children; and then
a dreadful native bird, whose name I've
never found out | suppose because nobody
could invent one bad enough for it, would
break out in succession of the most hor-
rible 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 | need mt tell you
about them. But all this while I'm neg
leeting my story.
"0ne day (it will be long enough before
| forget it, my husband was out as usual
at his work, aud the nurse had gone down
to the other native servants at the end of
the compound" as we call this big in-
closure; aud | was left alone in the house
with my little Minnie yonder, who was
just about year old. BY this time had
got over my first fears, and did MT miad
biz being left by myself; indeed, all the
lower windows having bars across them, |
thought that | was safe enough but little
dreamed of what was coming
''l must have been sitting over my sew
ing nearly an hour, with the child playing
about the floor beside me, when suddenly
l heard dull thump overhead, as it some
thing had fallen upon the roof. | did n II
think anything Of it at the moment, for
one soon gets used to all sorts of strange
sounds in the Indian jungle; but, present
ly, thought | could hear a heavy breath
ing 10 the next room but one, and then |
began to feel frightened in earnest. Irose
as softly as | could, and crept to the door
way between the rooms. This doorway
was only closed by curtain, and gently
pulling aside the folds, Ipeeped through
and found myself within a 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:-"Thc big chest !"
81 knew that this chest would hold me
and my child easily, and that could leave
chink Of the lid open to let us breathe,
for the overlapping edge would save my
fingers from the panther. In a second
had it all clear before me; but had the
brute not stopped short at sight of the cur
tain, | should never have had chance of
trying it. Luckily for me, the Indian
panther, savage as he is, is terrible cow
ard, and suspicious as any detective. I've
seen one go round aud round trap for
more than half an hour, before he made
up his mind to spring at the bait. So,
while my friend was puzzling himself over
the curtain, and wondering whether it was
meant for trap or not, took up Minnie
(who, poor little pet, seemed to know there
was something wrong, and never uttered a
sound) and into the chest crept, making
as little noise as | could.
II was hardly settled there when heard
the "sniff-sniff' of the panther coming
right up to where lay, and, though tho
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, happi-
ly, the chiuk was too narrow fer his paw
to enter. But if the paw could Mt, 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
Nlinnie's little arm around my neck seemed
TO give me courrgc
"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 iiu-
gers, until the pain was so terrible that,
unable to stand It any longer, screamed
with all my might.
"The scream was answered by a shout,
from just outside, in which recognized
my husbands voice. The panther heard il,
too, and il seemed to scare him, for he
made dash for the window, either for
getting or not noticing the iron bars; but
just as he reached it, there came the crack
of rifle, aud heard the heavy brute fall
suddenly upon the floor. Then all tho
fright seemed to come back upon me at
once, and tainted outright.
"l heard Afterwards that M II h.a