Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-01-30
WITH A PANTHER IN THE HOUSE.
One Of the Delight. Of Living I'm .. Indian
bungalow

From the London Queen.
was staying last night in a Wild part OF
India at a small and unfreauented hail place. 20
which we had gone up from the plains below
TO take refuge from the heat was alone one
night In the bungalow. my hostess having gone
down to the plains for day or two.
A little girl, aged Ave. aud an ayah were
sleeping in my room. Like most Indian bed
rooms there was a dressing room Of IL. and OF
that again bath room. In tins bath room va
had tied up the most precious of our dogs. tive
pugs and their lately arrived family, three ieAs
little pups
seemed TO have been dreaming for soma
ume OF confused noises, when I suddenly
AsoAe 70 ma The two pugs rushing wildly
ABOUT the room. dragging their chains after
,hem and barking furioasly. BY the light OF
,he amp which was glimmering in the room
could see that the dogs were dreadfullv ex-
cited and terrified and must have broken thesr
chains TO get loose. The cause OF their terror
was not lar to seek, for at that moment the
most terrible growls we're heard coming Appar-
ehily from the bath room, and the noise of these
increased until one reminded OF feeding
Tune Tor the lions at the Zoo.
by TINS time the ayah was awake and the
chld Was crying. sent the former hurriedly
70 can the men servants, Who were supposed
20 sieep outside on the veranda which went
partly around the bungalow. But, a. usual in
an emergency, especially il there is no sahib
on the premises. tnese dutiful seryants were
not at their post.
meanwhile the growls were getting louder
ana louder, and the bath room door was being
shaken or pushed so violently that Thought
e'ery minute the Wild beast, whatever il WAS,
would walk or rather rush in upon US There
was no door between NV room aud The hsth
room-merely curtains about a foot o6<khs
ground This Is usual IN India to ALLOW or
,he Tree circulation Of air; one lives in Q
draught there.
When heard that the men were not outside
sent the ayah of to their huts COR ''eodowns."
as they are called) To rouse them up il they
were there. Then followed q terrible i've
minutes OF waiting. which seemed like hours
4 mad to try and comfort the child. who was
cteadfaily frightened; the dogs we're still
rushing wildly about the room, their coats
quite stlh and erect with fright, and in
the intervals between the hideous growls
'he feeble squeaks and whines OF the
puppies were heard The elder puss seemed
70 be driven wild between a desire to get 20
Their offspring and the terror Of approaching
,nat dread sound, TO escape from which they
had almost broken their necks. Dogs seem 20
KNOW by Instinct the danger they are in.
fanthers look upon dogs as their most savoty
morsel, anu can small them afar OF. Hence
the visit of our nocturnal friend.
Inc ayah returned, and this time with the
men. To get to the bath room they had 10
come through my room. There were three Of
S', e"en az neo WIN huge spear. which,
however, did not seem to lend them much
courage A more sorry spectacle never saw.
Ihey we're actually trembling (It seems they had
ned from the yeranda when first they heard the
growl), and when spoke to them Their voices
shook. My heart sank when 1 realized that this
was all 1 had to depend on in the shape Of Q
man and protector. 1 asked them yhat they
thought the animal was, and they aid sons
"burra Wild beast" but they could not ten
exactly what-most probably . tiger or
panther.
timidly suggested that they should 20 and
sec, or anyhow make an advance toward the
door whence the noise proceeded. This
they accordingly did, uttering the most un-
earthly yells and sort of cry. This wss
done, was told by the syah, TO brighten the
beast away. and brighten IL they certainly did,
Tor when they got up TO the door and lister ed
nothing was heard but Q hurried crashing
through the brushwood, which grew almost
up to the bath room door and led down to the
jungle below. The door was found partly
open. Luckily. well as the latch and bolt.
. huge stone or bowlder had been placed up
against the door, and ii was this that had saved
US.
The enormous strength OF the animal had
broken the bolt and cracked the panel Of the
door, but had been powerless to entirely move
the bowlder. With q little more time and
perseverance il would undoubtedly have 40
complished this also, and, perhaps, without
the timely warning of the dogs I should
have awoke TO lind a panther at large in my
bed room For panther il turned out 60 be.
The brute left its footmarks on the sandy
soil round about the door, and on examining
these the next morning the shikaries were all
agreed that they were the marks OF . panther.