Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-09-28
Che Sturu Tsller.
A STRANGE RESCUE.

in Natal.
i 1 had advanced a distance Of one
hundred yards, when l. came upon a
patch Of "open," through which a
narrow track led down to the edge of
a small stream, which rippled musi-
cally over its pebbly bed. AS I emerg-
ed from the thick underground, an
agonized moan reached my ear, and
at the same moment my eye fell upon
a magnificent full-grown leopard,
beautifully marked, which lay doubled
up in the track, in an attitude un-
mistakably suggestive Of acute pain.
The instinct Of the sportsman in
stantly prompted me to raise my gun
to my shoulder-to lower 1t again,
however, the next moment. 1t was
loaded with small shot only-too
small, indeed, to penetrate the hide
Of the splendid creature before me;
and 1t seemed, too, a cowardly act to
take advantage Of him in his helpless
ness and suffering.
| His eyes look glazed and dim; his
tongue, white, furred, and dry, hung
out of his mouth, and his sides heav-
ed painfully at every inspiration.
| AS I emerged from the bush, he
lifted up his head and regarded me
with an expression as distinctly ap-
pealing as anything I have ever yet
seen, while, slightly raising his fore
paw, he uttered another groan. This
action attracted my attention, and I
at once observed that the foot was
frightfully swollen.
I can scarcely even now account
for the impulse which caused me to
walk quietly up to the suffering ami
NAL. 1t was evident the moment
approached him that part Of his suf-
ferings proceeded from thirst, aggra-
waited intensely no doubt by the sight
of the water which he had striven
unavailingly to reach. Seeing this.
went down to the brook and filled my
pith helmet with the cool sparkling
liquid and offered 1t him.
He Tapped it up greedily and SEEM
ed so plainly to ask for more that I
at once fetched it, and this too disap-
peared.
He now seemed to be much better
and attempted to rise, but sank upon
the ground again with a horrid howl
the moment his swollen foot touched
the earth.
allowed him to remain undis-
turbed for a minute or two, and then
gently took his paw in my hand to ex-
anime it; my patient, as I may now
call him, Offering me no resistance
beyond a faint whine. I saw at once
that the poor brute was suffering
from a very large and painful gath
ering in the ball of the foot, and that
it would afford him immediate relief
to have it opened. But how would
he be inclined to behave under the
operation? asked myself. The
chances were that the pain would
arouse him to pitch Of ungoverna-
BILE fury, in which case I should stand
but a poor chance in a struggle with
him.
While was hesitating as to wheth-
er should run the risk or not, he
again looked up into my face with
such a pitiful, beseeching expression
that it was simply irresistible.
I drew out my knife-which al
ways kept as keen as a razor-and
without further ado, drove the point
into the skin, making at the same mo-
ment, by quick jerk of the hand, an
incision about three inches long.
The splendid fellow never so much
as WINGED. Beyond a deep moan, he
showed no sign of having felt the
slightest pain, and I shall always feel
fully convinced that he knew I was
doing him a service.
Matter and blood flowed copiously
from the opening I had made in the
skin, and in the course Of two or
three minutes 1t became evident that
the poor brute had experienced a very
great relief.
I made another incision across the
first one, and then very gently press
ed the swollen part until the dis
charge had entirely ceased.
I then got more water, and fortu-
nately provided with abundance of
soft linen-which I used to wrap my
birds in after had shot them, to pre-
serve their plumage unruff1ed-set to
work to bathe and wash the foot
thoroughly, after which I made a
poultice Of some healing leaves, and
bound it securely over the puncture,
the poor creature affectionately lick
ing my hands all the while.
I then gave him little more wa
ter to drink, and left him.
A few days later I was again max
ing my way to the patch Of "open"
where I had played the part of sur
geon with leopard for my patient
| I spent a considerable amount Of
time in pinning and adjusting the
plumage Of my birds when-I did not
know why-I felt irresistibly con-
strained to turn my eyes toward the
stump of a fallen tree. Obeying the
impulse. took a good look at 1t. and,
as I did so, became conscious of two
bright, sparkling objects glittering in
the deep shadow of one of it's projec-
tions
| Vaguely wondering what those
could be, I remained steadfastly re-
garding them: and, as I did so, a very
peculiar sensation stole over me. A
slight and intermitting shivering seiz-
ed my frame, accompanied by mo-
mentary feeling of giddiness and nau-
sea; all surrounding objects appear
ed to reel and swim out of my range
of vision, leaving nothing but those
two glittering points, which now ap-
peared to expand into orbs Of brilli-
liant light.
Then came a sudden darkness-a
shock of electricity-a confused buz-
zing noise in my brain, which COM
menced to throb as though 1t would
burst my skull-and a sensation of
extreme giddiness, which passed away
| &c ro pidIx oS ~ bo1 nopoa. on6 7 found