Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1880-07-22
A PANTHER'S MORNING CALL.

KEEP libt uGi1 blNA NAlt0Nr SAW +'Ai'''
R, and l must own that its OF
very ornamental; but it saved my ute
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 is how it happened: When we
first came out to India, my husband was
sent to make the survey of Nerbudda
valley. one of the widest bits in all
Central India; and we really We're, just
at first, the only white people within
forty or fifty miles. And such time as
We had of IT. # my husband hadn't
been as strong rs he is, and Il perfect
miracle of patience as wei, | 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.. R, served
out wheel-barrows to them, they actually
carried them on their heads in the same
way | couldn't help laughing at it,
though 1t 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 kditmaujar, who was much
better than most of them, came one day
and begged a pair of old decanter-labeIs
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 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
q YOU, to be awakened in the middle Of
the night by the roar Of tiger close
under the window, or by an elephant
crashing and tTumpeting through the
Jungle with a noise like mail-coach 60
ing full gallop into a dollhouse. Well, as
soon as that was over, the iackals would
set up squealing and whimpering like
so many frightened children; and then
a dreadful native bird, whose name I've
never found out Il suppose because no.
body could invent one bad enough for
it, would break out in a succession of
the most horrible Cres-iust like some
body being murdered-until the noise
fairly drove me wild.
And then thr ants but you've seen
them for yourself, and needn't tell you
about them. But all this while I'm neg
lectin- my stony.
One day it will be long enough before
forget IT'D my husband was out as usual
at his work, and the nurse had gone
down "a tho ~ lA1 1,ltiyp M u ihA
end Of the compound as we call this
big Enclosure and | was left alone in
the house with my little Minnie yonder,
who was then Just about year old.
By this time | had got over my first
fears, and didn't mind bit being left
bymyself; 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 play
ing about the door beside me, when sud
denly | heard a duh thump overhead
as if something had fallen upon the
roof | didn't think anything Of 1t at
the moment, for one soon gets used to
all sorts Of strange sounds in the India
jungle but, presently, l thought | could
hear heavy breathing in the next
room but one, AMI then ! began to feel
frightened in earnest ! rose as softly
as | could, and crept 70 tie doorway be-
tween the rooms. This doorway was
only closed by a curtain, and gently pull
ing aside the folds, | peeped through
a found myself within q few PAGES Of
the largest panther l had ever seen in
my life.
Forone moment it was Just as if I had
81 ID .