Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1884-06-19
A TERRIBLE SENTINEL.

-spdnev DaHe, m Our Little Ones.
A TERRIBLE SENTINEL. 2 +.
| "Black panthersp Yes. there ar
| plenty of them in this country, but w,
don't often visit them, and I'm 'afrai'
that when they come to call upon as
we're rude enough to do our best to shu
/ them out.
So spoke, with sly smile on hi
| broad face, Mynheer Van Koop. q jolly
! old Dutch merchant of Batavia, the cap
ital Of Java. The guest who was keep
| ing him company at dinner that da,
was Lieutenant Percival Hart, q y4un
English officer, just come over frdH
| Singapore to Java on leave of absence
| with letters of introduction to the OLE
merchant, who welcomed him to hi
country house with true Dutch hospital
ity. t..g a. s.
Il should like of all things to NEE,
with one of. them," said the young
Lieutenant, eagerly; 'tsuch q skin a.
that would be well worth having"
HUMP said old Van Koop, with 1
meaning shake of his gray head: .sthe
skin of 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. -
''Poohr' cried Hart, who privately
thought himself a first-rate sportsman
IAN opinion with which his brother of
ficers did not altogether agree. with
good rifle in his hands, man ought
to be 4 match for anything that walks,
if he only keeps steady
GAY, 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.n
It 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 q door that opened
on to the yeranda.
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 sOas 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
one.. He was just making up his mind
to 60 back and sleep on the veranda,
wher his foot struck some hard object,
and, stopping down, he felt large
enrthen 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
even now, for, dark as the room was
into which he went, there was just light
enough to see that it did not look like
his own Where was his bed, which
had stood close to the doorp and where |
was the table that had been beside ftp |
Muttering an angry exclamation, the
was turning to leave the |
room again. when he caught sight of
which stopped him short, as
if he had trodden upon rattlesnake, |
The door had swung to-, revealing. rs
it did so, two large yellow eyes glaring |
ut him through the darkness. and be- |
hind them, by the faint CLEAN of moon !
light between the slides of the Venetian |
blinds, he could just distinguish huge,
shadowy mass. aaa4
The poor Lieutenant's blood ran cold |
Is he remembered Van Koop having |
old him that the black panthers often
came into the houses at night, and that |
ne had once found one of them creep
ng along the yeranda, and shot it dead I
n the very act of springing upon him. I
Bitterly did he now repent of his idle |
ooasting at the dinner-table and his
wish to meet with a panther. He had
net with one, sure enough, and now his
,nly wish was to get away from it as
asst as possible.
But what was to be donep He had
10 weapon or defense OF any kind. The
monster was between him and the door,
while 1t could reach the window with a
single bound should he attempt to esd
ape that way. At that time of night
here seemed to be no chance of any one
coming into the room, and to shout for
lelp would probably bring the panther
lpon him at once.
All at once, in the midst of his terror,
le recollected having read or heard that
hese beasts do not attack any creature
mtil it begins to move. A frail chance,
10 doubt, but it was the only one he
rad. Crouching down upon the floor,
nd making himself as small as he
ould, he remained as still as a statue.
lolding his breath.
How long he sat covering there he
ould never have told; but suddenly he
bought he heard the monsters paws
ustle, while its head seemed to move
$ if it were just about to spring upon
i'm.
Just at that moment his ear, 81, arp
ned by terror, caught the sound of al
ootstep outside the door. Hardly
moving what he did, and quite forget
ing. in his fright the risk of startling b