Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1880-05-26

euppOSc lOu 10 NVbuCilh5 "hJ
keep that ugly old lchest,' said Mrs.
R., and l must own that it's not
very Ornamental; but 1t saved my life
once, for all that. sec you think Pm
making fan of you, but Pm not, indeed;
and when you hear the story l think
you'll agree with me that 1 have good
reason 10 value it, ugly as it looks.
This is how 1t happened When we
frat came out to India, my husband
was sent to make the survey Of 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 as we had Of it /. If my husband
hadn't been as strong as he is, and a
perfect miracle Of patience as well, I
don't know how he could have stood
what Lie had TO do. 1t was dreadful
work for 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 loo hot TO
touch. And as for the native workmen,
1 never saw such set-always doing
everything wrong, and never liking any,
body to put them right. When the
railway was being made they used to
carry The earth on their heads in bas-
kets; and when Mr.. R., served out
wheel-barrOws to them, they actually
carried them on their heads 10 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 wrong way ofusIng
anything, they'd be sure to find it out.
Even our butler, or khnmmbar, who
was much better than most of them
came one day and begged a pair Of old
decanter-labcls 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 grayely with
Port in one ear and Sherry in the
other
However, if the 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 of a
tiger close under the window, or by an
elephant croshing and trumpeting
through the jungle with a noise like a
mall.coach going full gallop into q hot
house. Well, as soon as that was over
the jackals would set up a squealing
and whimpering like so many frighten-
ed children; and then dreadful native
bird, whose name I've never found out
Il suppose because nobody could in-
vent one bad enough for IT'D would
break out IN succession of the most
horrible cries-just like somebody being
murdered-untll the nolse fairly drove
me wild.
And then the ants but you've seen
them for yourself, and 1 needn't tell
you about them. But all this while
Pm neglectiug my story.
One day Ut will be long enough be.
fore forget iD 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 inclosure; aud was left
alone IN TIE 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
a bit being left by myself; indeed, all
the lower windows having bars across
them, thought that was safe, enough
but little dreamed OF what was COM
ing!
1 must have been sitting over my
sewing nearly an hour with the child
playing about the door beside me.
when suddenly heard dull thump
overhead, as if something had fallen
upon the roof. Ididn't think anything
Of it at the moment, for one soon gets
used to all sorts Of strange sounds In
the India jungle but, presently, l
thought l could hear heavy breathing
in the next room but one, and then |
began to feel frightened in earnest. l
rose as softly as could, and crept to
the doorway between the rooms. This
doorway was only closed bya curtain,
and gently pulling aside the folds,
peeped through and found myself with
a few PAGES Of the largest panther l had
ever seen in my life
For one mo ment it was just as if
had been frozen stiff, aud then the
thought came TO me just as if some
booy had spoken it: The big chestv
knew that this chest would hold me
and my child easily. and that could
leave q chnk Of the lid open to let us
breathe, for the overlapping edge would
save my finger from the panther. In a
second l ha d it all clear before me; but
had the brute not stopped short at sight
Of the curtain, | should never have had
a chance of trying it. Luckily for me,
the Indian panther, savage as he is, is
terrible coward, aud suspicious as
any detective. Pve seen one 20 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 puzzllng himself over the curtain,
and wondering whether it was meant
for trap or not, l took up Minnie
(who, poor little pet, seemed to know