Evening star., 1925-04-19

to sleep, and / decided to sit up check
ing up my notes for the day.
While deeply absorbed in my task,
was suddenly startled by a shrill, rasp-
ing snarl that sent the blood coursing
through my veins. The cry was di-
rectly outside my tent. The dog again
whined and crouched to the far cor
ner of the bed as / reached for my
automatic pistol and started for the
door.
At this very instant the bulky form
Of a black panther leaped through the
door, landing squarely on the top of
my table, overturning it, and throwing
the candle to the floor. In the twink
ling of an eye he had grabbed the
dog in his mouth and was returning
to the door when l opened fire with
my automatic, just being able to
make out the form of the panther by
the Pickering light of the candle.
Everything was so sudden that l had
scarcely time to collect my thoughts.
but / was satisfied that had hit the
beast.
Experience had taught me not to
follow a wounded animal into the
jungle, so 1 let things rest till morn
ing. 1 was up early in the morning
and found that l had at least wounded
the beast, as the blood spoor in the
dust proved. l heard no sound from
the dog at the time he was seized but
shrill yelp which was cut short,
showing that he was evidently muz-
zled instantly.
! called to my gun bearer, who was
and expert tracker, and who soon
picked up the spoor and traced it to
a thicket. 1 parted the thick mass of
vines and cautiously edged my way in.
had not gone far when l spied the
dog and not eight feet away was the
panther. both dead. The dogs head
had been crushed, as l had supposed.
and upon examining the panther L
found that one OF. my bullets had pene-
trated his lungs.
y
THE sun was now we'll up and as 1
turned back to camp 1 heard the
shout of the men returning from their
quest for an outlet from the jungle.
They We're successful, and within
three hours we were emerging into
what appeared to be a lake of snow,
but later turned out to be salt. The
overflow of the ocean at high tide into
the lowlands is evaported by the sun
and has created quite an industry,
furnishing employment for the entire
population of the little town on it's
bleached shores.
Travelling now was somewhat easier,
as we were entering an agricultural
section, where both food and water
were plentiful. The entire population
of the small towns would turn out to
take look at my outfit as we travelled
through the narrow streets lined with
cocoanut palms and odd-shaped build
ings with thatched roofs.
While camping near one of these
little hamlets, I received information
that was encouraging regarding a
rogue elephant, and l looked forward
to an early clash with the brute. The
night before it had been driven back
ward by the natives to where it usu-
ally made it's headquarters during the
daytime. This was, at the slow rate
l was travelling, about two days out.
With an early start l felt l could
make it by sundown of the next day
and thus get him as he was starting
out on his rampage.
So / took a straight line to a water
hole, or as near as L could, arriving
to within about two miles of it and
there making camp. AS the sun was
within an hour of setting, desired to
see the water hole, where this rogue
elephant was in the habit of taking
his bath. After a short time 1 ar
rived at a small opening in the jungle.
The ground was covered with i'm
Hense powders, and around this
eak spot was the wall Of the jungle,