Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1889-01-04
AN uNwELcoME CALLER. -
Woman Opens the Door of Her Hcuso
and Finds Leopard There.

A woman Opens the DOOR VI her hN"'c
and Finds Leopard There.
In an Indian bungalow every bed
room has a small anteroom attached,
In which the important function OF
bathing is performed, writes LADY
traveller in India. The floor Is OF
cement and uncarpeted, to allow OF
splashing, and around the tub are
placed the ghurras or earthen pots OF
water, which are required for the bath.
The little room has always two DOORS
one opening on the outer hall to admit
the bheesti with his supply of water
and the other opening into the bed
room. One evening just as dusk was
falling had finished the unpacklng OF
box in my bedroom and was moving
away when | 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 large leopard, which was
crouching on the floor and drinking
out of one of the ghurras. The room
was so small that found myself quite
close to the leopard, and could, indeed
have touched the spots on its glossy
| coat from where | stood. / was too
frightened 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 single
bound it cleared the threshold and dis
appeared up the hillside. Had the
door blown to, or been closed from the
outside by servant, the animal would
have had no resource but to seek an
exit by the doorway in which | was
standing, and the knowledge of my
narrow escape made us careful ever
after about shutting up early in the
afternoon.
A few nights later we were awakened
by hearing the Waterman call out loud
ly that there was a leopard in the ver-
anda; and we ran to the window in
time to see the waving of the branches
whore the beast had sprung out among
the trees, The bearer, who was lying
rolled up In the blankets in the same
veranda, slept soundly on meanwhile,
unconscious of his proximity to the
stealthy-footed creature. These Loop
ards are cowardly creatures, and will
never attack human being If they can
avoid it; their special fancy is for little
dogs, and they will so haunt the neigh
borhood of any house where dogs are
kept that the greatest care Is necces-
sary to prevent the little quadlupeds
falling victims to the big ones.
AS the weather became better they
grew less bold, and it was only toward
the end of the season that we saw them
again. When snow fell on the farther
hills they were driven to seek food
lower down, and then again they began
to infest the station. Often in the
month Of October, when coming home
late night, have heard the hoarse sort
of purring noise they make as they rub
their sides, like huge oats against the
trunks of trees. The men carrying my
dandi eight palanquin) would then
step out, and talk loud to keep up their
I courage, while the mate would flourish
, his lantern and saout. No leopard
would come near so noisy party, and
the only danger on such occasions Is O.
the men taking panic and dropping
( the dandi, when the situation would be
| awkward. This, however, never hap.
t pened to me, and l was equally fortu
, nate when riding. - Chicago Tribune.