Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1882-12-04

HOT WudI leu W III olludGlOH- IHclS,
but gaining sitting position, beheld
with start of terror a harpy-faced
creature STOPPING toward me, and |
fixing pair of red, menacing eyes
upon me. Again it struck me with
it's beak, and then / uttered a loud |
cry, which had the good effect of in
fecting my assailant with my own
fears for it receded, and / saw what
it was, huge bird one of those
CHASTITY, bald-headed vultures of
Hindostan which are found congre-
eating wherever garbage and carrion
spread out their fetid banquets on
the face of the land. Peering at me
its fishy eyes imbedded in red sockets
of what seemed raw. flesh, its dingy-
white wings extended and tapping,
as if preparatory to attack, it gave a
harsh scream, and, as | imagined,
was about to pounce upon me.
Whether such was its intention, who
can say? However, | seized my
Manton, which lay beside me. and
levelling it at the gluttonous-looking
creature, shot it through the head.
1t was at any rate the only bird |
had shot that day, and immense was
the excitement my success seemed to
create around me. A flock of noisy
green parroquets, and chattering, 4
dark-feathered minas from the tree
above me, spoke discordand plaudits
as they burst from its green recesses
while two squirrels darted frantically
past me with sharp chirrupings, and
from netghboring bush sneaked out
sly, crouching creature, which |
took for civet cat. At all events |
had now leisure to observe that a
change had crept over the face of
the heavens the sun was at its set
ting | must have slept more than
hour. | had no watch, but the
heightened shadows and the purple
and golden haze which clad the wood
lands apprised me of the fact that
was at least probable might chance
to be benighted in these woods,
which, if safe and pleasant for day
pastimes, were not enviable for night
repose. In some hurry and confu-
sion | started up and away, and had
walked 4 considerable distance
straight forward ere l was aware that
the sun, or rather its declining radi-
ance, was still in my face, as it had
been when | set out, and that conse-
quently, if | wished to return to Bas-
sim, | should now turn my back
upon it. did so, but got quickly
puzzled; and soon remarked, from
the increasing size of the timber,
that | was getting more deeply into
the forest. / could distinguish no
path, though hitherto there had been
perceivable several of those tiny,
well-worn tracks that pierce through
and interiors; each other in most of
the jungles near town or steading,
and which are so aptly named, in the
dialect of the natives, chowr-rusta-
that is, thief-tracks. Again | turned
back, striving to keep the sun be-
hind me but the sudden 9loamln9-
of Hindostan fell upon me as l hur-
ried on through brake and briar, and
there was scarcely gleam of day
light left to direct me, when all at
once | saw in front of me little
tank, or lake, l knew not which, on
the borders of which arose the dark
walls of an edifice.
Hurrying up to it, my disappoint-
ment was at the full to find it to be
the ruins of an old pagoda, evident
ly long neglected, and almost entire
ly covered in by long, trailing lianas.
A solitary idol crumbled in front of
1.-THE mouldering janitor to the dis
mantled temple! No floral offerings
of moogra or chrysanthemum evinced
recent devotional visitor no benzoin,
no scented gum, announced sacerdot-
al presence. As l stood, plunged in
reflections that were not very exhil-
arating, loud growl from the jungle
was heard; and at some distance
from where l watched their advent,
two creatures-a She-bear and her
cub-trotted toward the water. /
was now fairly sin for it, Should
/ wait their approach, or take flight
in the darkness? My ammunition
was not..of description to protect
me from such assailants if attacked.
Meanwhile they seemed perfectly un-
conscious of my proximity, and
drank very peaceably of the water,
playing hundred clumsy antics,
which the increasing obscurity made
dimly visibly to me. At length,
however, they retreated as they come !;
and as to my left the jungle appeared
more thin and low, began to look
about me for path. None, could |
find; and at last / really deemed the
best thing l could do would be to re-
main where / was until the first dense
darkness of night receded before the
coming stars and the MOON, which /
knew muste ere long make its appear
| ance.
At that instant voices from the
jungle struck upon my ear, so near
at hand, that was on the point of
hailing the owners, when presenti-
ment-men use the word so vaguely
n conca of caufion camQ over mo