The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1881-02-17

TO his work, as usual, and the nu1s
had gone down to the other native ser
Wants at the end of the compound a.
we call this big inclcsnre. and I was
left alone in the housc with my little
Minnie yonder, who was then iust
about a year old. BY this time [ had
got over my first fears, and didn't
mind bit being LETT alone by myself
indeed, all the lower windows had bars
across them, I thought that I was safe
enough; but ltte dreamed what was
coming.
L must have been sitting over my
sewing nearly an hour, with the child
playing about the floor beside Inc, when
suddenly | heard dull thump over
head, as if something had fallen on the
roof. l didn't think anything oft at
the moment, for one soon gets used to
all sorts of strange sounds in the In
dian jungle; but presently I thought I
could hear heavy bfca hing in tie
next room but one, and then I be gan
to feel fri. htened in earnest. l rose
rs softly as possible, and crept to the
doorway between the rooms. This
doorway was only closed by curtain,
and gently pulling aside the folds, l
pseped through, and found myself with
in Il few PAGES Of the largest panther I
had ever seen in my life!
t'For one moment it was just as Il I
had been frozen stiff, and then the
thought came to me as if somebody
had spoken it: The big chestT
- knew that tbs chest would easily
hold me and my child, and that I could
leave cllink Of the lid open to let rs
breathe, for the overlapping edge would
save my fingers from the panther. In
a second I had made 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. Luck
ily for me, the Indian panther. savage
as he is, is terrible coward, and sus
picious as any detective. Pve seen
one go around and round a 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 wheth-
er it was meant for trap or not,
took up Minnie, who, poor little pet,
seemed to know that something was
wrong never uttered q sound, and into
the chest [ crept, making as little
noise as possible.
Il was hardly settled there when I
heard the 'sniff-sniff7 of tie panther
coming right up to where 1 lay.
and through the chink l had left open
the hot, foul breath came steamirg
in upon my face, almost making me
sick. 1t seemed to bring my heart in
t)my mouth, when I heard his great
claws scraping the edge of the lid, and
trying to lift it up; but, happily, the
chink was toe narrow for his paw to EN-
ter. But if the paw couldn't the tongue
could; and soon he began to lick my
fingers, raspine them so that l hardly
knew Low to bear it. Still, the tou ch
of MiQnie's little arm around my
neck seemed to give me courage.
''But, there was far worse than this
to come; for the panther suddenly leap
ed right on top Of the chest, and his
weight pressed down the heavy lid up
on my fingers, until the pain was so
terrible that, unable to stand it any
longer, l screamed with all my might.
"The scream was answered by a
shout from just outside, in which 1 rec
ognized my husbands voice. The pan
ther heard it, too, and it seemed to
scare him, for he made a dash for Il
window, either forgetting or mt motto
ing the iron bars; but just-as he reach
eI it, there came the crack of Il rifle,
and 1 heard the heavy brute fall sud
denly to the floor. Then all the fright
seemed to come back upon me at once,
and tainted outright.
81 heard afterward that Mr.. R
had opened to want SOME instrument
which he had left at the house; and not
wishing to trust it III the hands of the
natives, he came back for it himself
luckily, just in time, for the bullet from
bis rifle killed the panther. But, as
yJu see, my hand is pretty stiff, yeS. y
David Kel; st. Nicholas.
C0NUNDRUMS.