Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-05-27

4 vic Nos cAcoA- <AAN lSnl Was uOG lODG
in coming. The Frenchman was able to
examine thss panther. Its muzzle was
stained with blood.
1T has eaten plenty" he reflected, with
out conjecturing that the feast might have
been composed of human flesh; sit will
not be hungry when it wakes"
1t was a female. The fur upon her breast
and thighs shone with whiteness A num-
Der of little spots like velvet looked like
charming bracelets around her paws. The
muscular tail was also white, but tipped
with black rings. The upper part of her
coat, yellow as old gold, but very soft and
smooth, bore those characteristic marks,
shaded into the form of roses, which serve
to distinguish the panther from the other
| species of the genus Felis.
This fearful visitor was snoring tram
gully in an attitude as graceful as that of
| kitten lying on the cushions of an otto
man. Her sinewy, blood stained paws,
with powerful claws, were spread beyond
her head, which rested on them, and from
| which stood out the thin. straight whisk-
| ers with CLEAN like silver wire.
Acting as men do who, driven to ex-
tremities, at last defy their fate, and nerve
| themselves to meet their doom. he saw
| tragedy in this adventure, and resolved to
| play his part in it with honor to the last.
| Considering himself as good as dead he
| waited bravely, yet with restless curiosity,
! for the awakening of his enemy.
! When the sun shone out the panther
! opened her eyes suddenly; then she spread
! out her paws forcibly, as if to stretch them
! and get rid of cramp. Then she yawned,
| showing an alarming set of teeth and an
| indented, rasphke tongue.
''She Is ike a dainty lady" thought the
{ ba ha d
! gentle and coqueJtish movement.
! She licked OF the blood that stained her
| paws and mouth, and rubbed her head with
| movements full of charm.
! That it! Just beautify yourself lit
/ tlel" the Frenchman said, his gayety re-
/ turning with his courage. Then wamust
say good morning"
| And he took up the short dagger of which
! he had relieved the Maugrabins.
| At this moment the panther turned her
| head toward the Frenchman and looked
| at him fixedly, without advancing The
! rigidity of those metallic eyes and their in
| supportable brightness made the Provencal
! shudder.
| The beast began to move toward him.
| He looked at her caressingly, and, fixing
! her eyes as if to magnetic her, he let her
| come close up to him; then, with soft
/ along her body from head to tail, scratch
/ ing with his nails the flexible vertebr;e
! that divide panther's yellow back
| The beast put up her tail with pleasure,
/ her eyes grew softer; and when for the
/ third time the Frenchman accomplished
| this self interested piece of fiattery she
! broke into purrinC like cat.
! But this purr proceeded from throat so
/ deep and powerful that it re-echoed through
| the grotto like the peals of "a cathedral or
| gan.
The Provencal, realizing the success of
! his caresses. redoubled them, until the i'm
! perious beauty was completely soothed and
/ lulled
| When he felt sure that he had perfectly
| subdued the ferocity of his capricious COM
| panion, whose hunger had been satisfied so
| cruelty the night before, he got up to leave
! the grottO. The panther let him 90, but
! when he had climbed the hill she came
bounding after him with the lightness of
| sparrow hopping from branch to branch,
/ and rubbed herself against the soldiers leg,
| arching her back after the fashion of a cat
| Then looking at her guest with eyes whose
brightness had grown less infiexible. she
! uttered that savage cry which naturalists
/ have compared to the sound of saw
What an exacting beauty cried the
| Frenchman, smiling. He set himself TO
/ play with her ears, TO caress her body and
I to scratch her head hard with his nails.
Then, growing holder with success, he
tickled her skull with the point of his dag
ger, watching for the spot to strike her
But the hardness of the bones made him
afraid of failing
The sultana of the desert approved the
action Of her slave by raising her head.
| stretching her neck and showing her de-
| light by the quietness of her attitude. The
| Frenchman suddenly reflected that in order
| to assassinate this fierce princess with one
| blow he need only stab her in the neck
| He had just raised his knife for the attempt
| when the panther, with a graceful action,
threw herself upon the ground before his
| feet casting on him from time to time a
look in which, in spite of its ferocity of
| nature, there was CLEAN of tenderness.
The poor Provencal. with his back
against a palm tree, ate his dates, while
he cast inquiring glances, now toward the
desert for deliverers, now upon his terrible
companion, to keep an eye upon her du-
bious clemency. Every time he threw
away a date stone the panther fixed her
eyes upon the spot with inconceivabe mis-
trust. She scrutinized the Frenchman
with a businessike attention, but the eX-
| animation seemed favorable, for when he
finished his poor meal she licked his boots,
and with her rough, strong tongue re-
moved the dust incrusted in their creases.
But when she becomes hungry"
thought the Provencal.
Despite the shudder this idea caused him,
The soldier began examining with curiosity
The proportions of the panther, certainly
one Of the most beautiful specimens of her
kind. She was three feet high and four
feet long, without the tail. This powerful
weapon, as round as club, was nearly
three feet long. The head-as large as that
Of lioness-was distinguished by an ex-
preston Of rare delicacy; true, the cold
cruelty of the tiger dominated, but there
was also Il resemblance to the features of a
Willy woman. In a word, the countenance
Of the solitary queen wore at this moment
an expression of fierce gayety, like that of
Nero flushed with wine: she had quenched
her thirst in blood and now desired to play.