New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-11-02
CURIOUS LEOPARD SHOOT
THIS FEROCIOUs BEAST TURNED OUT
TO BE NO HERO.

The hot weather was over. the little monsoon
had come and gone. and had in due course been
FOLLOWED by the "big monsoon" with its thunder
ings and deuges of rain. which had reused the in
sects from their hot weather torpor and sent them
out and around their little world in search Of mum
der and adventure. says Frank Stevens IN Travel
The winged termites had taken their flight and
had obligingly left their wings as a little souvenir
or their all too short. but yet too long existence
The sweeper woman was busiy collecting them I'm
one corner of the veranda while in the fowl
house az the back the poultry were eagerly lunch
ing on their fat white bodies, which we had
trapped in soup plate for their delectation. The
roGs. too, had become very friendly, ana finding
the surrounding country a trihe too damn for even
their taste, were squatted about on the mats to
the manifest annoyance of the dogs who resented
their presence but feared TO tackle them content
ing themselves with frenzied rushes and Skin
mishes. which seemed way to disturb the re-
poseful nature of our visitors. who philosophicay
continued to blink and catch the stray mosquitoes
which foolishly flew their way
The settlement asleep. Now and then
screech owl would raise his dlscordant note and
awake some stray Pariah dog which angered at
being disturbed. would howl in sympathy with his
disturber and arouse his fellow-dogs who in their
turn would answer him, and curl round again TO
30 TO sleep; While now and again the cries of
pack of jackals would be borne upon the wind AS
they scampered across the madam or parade
ground Of the regiment living In environments hard
at hand. But owls. dogs and jackals are not the
only animals awake at this time; for from behind
a bowlder which the village as a protective
DEITY there steals dusky form, creeping SLOWLY
ana stealthily toward the little settlement sion.
ping now and again within the shadow OF some bIt
70 snun the air. II IS leopard. attracted doubt
less by the scent of some uckess goat tied up he
sac nut The Waterman of the village muffed
IN coarse cotton cloths and shrOuded in a blanket
mas long been doing at his post, when he Is awaL-
ened by crash The leopard In scaling rough
bamboo fence, has fallen into OF the gardens
knocking over one of the whitened earthen pots
which serve 70 keep off the curse of the evil eve,
IN moment the dogs are ali awake. and give fhe
alarm; this time II Is no piteous howl. but n fierce
challenge to some unknown intruder The shadOvyv
FORMS which lie about start into life, M.
approach or thieves, while from the huts mon
women and children come tumblng out 10 lear,
lence but minute ago, there is an eager ba he1
OF voices asking what may be the disturbance
The big spotted cat hears the noise: his ga re ~
laid back fiat upon his head, and he gives an angrv
snarl. In a moment the crowd has grasIed the eit
ia ton "Pulee pulee!" (Tger, tigerD shontS The
Waterman, determined TO place the worst constrIic
ton upon the noise he has heard. The CRY Is taken
up by the villagers. ''Yecarda? yecarda? - 1Xvbara3
whereof they shout. N'"e'S'
AS for the leopard he Is no hero and he Lno,,. =.
ts time for him to escape He is startled and 90
fused by the shouts and by the glare of torches &C
they passed and repass throughout the village ~
makes dash. and. crashing through the fencs boI.
door or hut; he dashes in nearly upsetting as he
does so the aged mother of its Proprietor who is
peeping out OF the door. In moment she has -b1+
the door upon the intruder, and is wildly shoutinr
the intelligence throughout the village while from
the hut itself come the angry protests OF the pou
which in their turn are anxious TO escape The VII