The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1884-07-02
THE BLACK PANTHER.

plcuLy pl blltLu III bllS COuHUTy DuG we
don't often visit them, and Pm afraid
that when they come to call upon us,
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, 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 one of them," said the young
Lieutenant, eagerly; "such skin as
that would be well worth having" FL
"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, IL you
meet him alone in the forest, there is
always chance Of the panther getting
your skin instead of your getting has,"
"Pooh!" cried Hart, who privately
thought himself tirst-rate sportsman
an opinion with which his brother of
fcers did not altogether agree. with
a good rifle in his hands, u man ought
to be n 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 its teeth meet in
your neck before you. can even cock
your lille, 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
Z 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 door that opened
on to the veranda. -.
Here he found himself much more
comfortable, especially as light breeze
was just sPringing up from the sea,
which cooled him famously. After sit
ting for about half an hour, no was just
starting back to his room when fear
ful thought struck him. Where 0as his
roomp a
4. Where, indeed? The passage was as
dark as 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 go back and sleep on the veranda,
when his foot struck some hard object,
and, STOPPING down, he felt a large
earthen water jar. " ,
"Hurrah!" SAID he, joyfully. ~ re.
member now seeing one outside my
door. q Now I'm all right" r..s...,,
But apparently he sDdsnt all right
even now, for, dark as the room wa
~ lnto Wnien neWens's.neie e: was ]nst Ngh' 49'
70 see sna' ~ uit nIs b tooh L;t ist
nus OVID. M Nhere Wa WAS ms pea; whlcu
nao stoou c,osS 70 sne aoor. ana wner'
Muttering an angry exclamation, thu
l-lcu.enans ss..s sullil ..iIIl 70 leavs3 ~,
soan.t so,n ag"in, MIen l. no caIgn' slgn' .
;Moss ;shuSn MniIn SOoPPeo nun shosl, ,!a q
;rLn - ~ jna, ha uen LsI upon q s. ras.lesnake .
-. -. % S;J - .aI..a E ~, ~ lyssallng. =
r. 4. III IL; ~, :s.,.s W. Sci.oE eyes glarihss =
s:.I Z! Inn .Lo .lloSgH Sne u"rhness' rsI anu 90
light between the siidssei s sS the Venetian
'hiindk he could inst di6tifDuigh n hIi0fi