The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1888-05-30
THELADY AND TIE LEOPARD.
An Exciting Adventure in an Indian
Bungalow
From Chambers Journal.)

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In an Indian bungalow every bedroom
has small ante-room attached IN which
the important function of bathing Is per
formed. The floor is of cement and IN
carpeted, to allow of splashing, anc
around the tub are placed the ghurras, OF
earthen pots of water which are required
for the bath. The little room has always
two doors, one opening on the outer air.
to admit the bheesti with his supply Of
water, the other opening into the bed
room. On the evening in question, Just
as dusk was falling, L had finished the
unpacking of q box in my bedroom and
was moving away, when l fancied heard
slight sound in the bathroom. 1t was
an unusual hour for the bheesti's visit,
so | opened the door, and, to my horror,
saw Just in front of me the beautiful
sleek back OF a large leopard, which
was crouched on the floor and drinking
out of one CT the ghurras. The room
was so small that I found myself quite
close to the leopard, and could, indeed,
have touched the spots on its glossy coat
from where I stood. was too frighten-
ed to move, and stood perfectly still, and,
fortunately for me, the outer door by
which the creature had entered still stood
wide open, and with a single bound it
cleared the threshold and disappeared up
the hillside. Had the door blown to, or
been closed from the outside by serv-
ant, the animal would have had no re-
source but to seek an exit by the door
way in which I was standing, and the
knowledge of my narrow escape made
US very careful ever after about shutting
up early in the afternoon.
A few nights later We were awaken by
hearing the watchman call out loudly
that there was leopard in the veranda,
and we ran to the window in time to see
the waving of the branches where the
beast had sprung out among The trees.
The bearer, who was lying rolled up IN
his blankets in the same veranda, slept
soundly on meanwhile, unconscious OF
his proximity to the stealthy footed crea-
ture. These leopards are cowardly crea-
ture, and will never attack human being
if they can avoid it their special fancy is
for little dogs, and they will SO haunt
the neighborhood Of any house where
dogs are kept that the greatest care is
necessary to prevent the little quadrupeds
falling victims to the big ones.
As the weather became better they
grwed less bold, and it was only toward
the end of the season that We saw them
again. When snow fell on the farther
bill they were driven to seek food lower
down, and then again they began to in
fest the station. Often in the month Of
October, when coming home late at night,
[ have heard the hoarse sort OF purrlng
noise they make as they rub their sides,
like huge cats, againsed the trunks OF
trees. The men carrying their dandl
eight palanquin) would then step out,
and talk very loud, to keep up their
courage, while the mate would flourish
his lantern and shout. No leopard
would come near so noisy a party, and
the only danger on such occasions IS OF
the men taking panic and dropping the
dandi, when tho situation would be awk-
ing. This, however, never happened to
me, and I was equally fortunate when
riding