Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-07-11
THE BLACK PANTHER.

"Black %panthers? Yes, there are
plenty of them in this country, but we
don't often visit them, and I'm afraid
that when they come to call upon as.
we're rude enough to do our best to shut
them out"
So spoke, with a sly smile on his
broad face, Mynheer Van Koop, a Jolly
old Dutch merchant of Batavia, the cap
ital OF Java. The guest who was keep
ing him company at dinner that day
was Lieutenant Percival Hart, q young
English officer, just come over from
Singapore to Java on leave of absence,
with letters of Introduction to the old
merchant, who welcomed him to his
country house with true Dutch hospital
ity.
II should like of all things to meet
with n of them,' said the young
Lieutenant, eagerly; "such a skin as
that would be well worth having"
"Hum!" said old Van Koop, with a
meaning shake Of his gray head; .the
skin of q black panther is certainly a
very pretty ornament, Mynheer Hart;
but you must remember that, if you
meet him alone in the forest, there is
always a chance of the panther getting
your skin instead of your getting his"
"Pooh!" cried Hart, who privately
thought himself q first-rate sportsman
an opinion with which his brother Of
ficers did not altogether agree. ''With
a good rifle in his hands, q nan ought
to be - match for anything that walks,
it he only keeps steady"
cay, If he does" answered the
Dutchman, quietly. "But when one of
these beasts jumps down upon you from
behind, and makes it's teeth meet in
your neck before you can even cock
your rifle, how are you going to keep
steady then? If you'll take an old
mans advice, Mynheer Hart, you will
leave the black panthers alone"
1t was pretty late before they went to
bed, and Hart felt little inclined to
sleep. The night was almost as warm
as the day had been, and what with the
heat and with all this exciting talk
about wild beasts, the young officer had
never been so restless in his life.
At last he could stand it no longer.
He jumped out of bed, and, wrapping
himself in his cloak, made his way
along the passage to a doorthat opened
on to the veranda.
Here he found himself much more
comfortable, especially as a light breeze
was just springing up from the sea,
which cooled him famously. After sit,
ting for about half an hour, he was Just
starting back to his room when a fear
full thought struck him. Where vas his
room?
Where, indeed? The passage was as
dark as a coal cellar, and all the doors
seemed exactly alike. Every one was
probably asleep by this time. and he
had no light, and no means of getting
lie was just making up his mind
to go back and sleep on the yeranda.
when his foot struck some hard object.
and, STOPPING down, he felt a large
earthen water jar.
"Hurrah!' said he, joyfully. 81 re-
member now seeing one outside my
door. Now I'm all right"
But apparently he wasn't all RIGHT
ever now, for, dark as the room was
INTO which he went, there was lust light
enough to see that it did not look like
his own. Where was his bed, which
had stood close 60 the door? and where
was the table that had been beside ito
Mut'erlng an angry exclamation, the
Lieutenant was turning to leave the
room again. when he caught sight of
something which stopped him short, as
II he had trodden upon a rattlesnaEe
The door had swung to, REVEALING a.
it did so, two large Yellow ewes ol arin~
at nm through the darkness, and be,
h'nd them, by the faint CLEAN of moon
lght bet, zen the slides OF the Venetian
blinds, he could just distinguish a huge.
shadowy mass. Ne''
III, poor L%ieutenant's blood ran cold
as he remembered Van Koon havinr
told him that the black panthers often
came into the houses at night. and that
ne had once found one of them croon
ing along the veranda, and shot if dead
m the very act Of springine upon Him
Bitterly did he now repent Of HE ' idio
boasting at the dinner-table and Iie
wlsh to meet with a panther. He had
met with one, sure enough, and now b;s
ohiy wish was to get away from II as
last as possible. "s
but what was to be done? He had
no weapon or defense of any kind mo
l mIn was between him and the door.
while 1T could reach the wind,,,y ur;th
single bound should he attempt TO ese
cape that way. AT that time Of n;aht
mere seemed to be no chance Of anv ono
coming into the room, and to shout 1nr
n "nan YOU'D YOU probably bring the panther
Az AZ once. IN the midst of his terror