Year: 1879

al suppose you're wondering why keep
that ugly old chest" said Mrs. R,
"and must own that it's not very orna-
mental; but it saved my life once, for all
that. see you think I'm making fun of
YOU, but I'm not, indeed; and when you
liear the story, l think you'll agree with
me that have good reason to value it, ug
ly as it looks.


This was how it happened. When We
first came out to India, my husband was
sent to make the survey of the Nerbudda
Valley, one of the widest bits in all cen
tral India and we really were, just at first
the only white people, within 40 or so
miles. And such a time as We had Of it
If my husband hadn't been as strong as he
is, and perfect miracle of patience as
well, | don't know how we could have
stood what he had to do. Ii was dreadful
wcrk for him, being up sometimes for a
whole night together, OF having to stand
out in the burning sun, when the very
ground itself was almost too hot TO touch.
And as for the native workmen, | never
saw such set,-always doing everything
wrong, and never liking anybody to put
them right When the railway was being
made they used TO carry the earth on their
heads in baskets; and when Mr.. R
served out wheel-barrows TO them, the ac-
tually carried them on their heads in the
same wayl | couldn't help laughing at it,
though it was terrible provoking, too. And
that was Just the way they all were: if
there was wrong way of using anything
they'd be sure to find it out. Even our
butler, or khitmutgar who was much
better than most of them, came one day
and begged pair of old decanter-labels
that my husband was going to throw away;
and when the man came in the next morn
ing, he had positively turned them into ear
rings. and went about quite gravely with
Port in one ears and Sherry in the
other,


"Hcwever, if the native men worried
me, the native beasts were 80 times worse.
1t was no joke, | can assure you, to be
awaked in the middle of the night by the
roar of tiger close under the window or
by an elephant crashing and trumpeting
through the jungle with noise like a
mail-coach going full gallop into a hot
house. Well, as soon as that was over,
the jackals would set up squealing and
whimpering like so many frightened child
rem; and then dreadful native bird, whose
name I've never found out q suppose be-
cause nobody could invent one bad enough
for it), would break out in succession of
the most horrible cries-just like somebody
being murdered, until the noise nearly
drove me wild.


"And then the antsl but you've seen
them for yourself, and | needn't tell you
about them. But all this while I'm neg
lecting my story.


"One day (it will be long enough before
forget it, my husband was out as usual at
his work, and the nurse had gone down to
the other native servants at the end of the
compound as we call this big inclosure !;
and was left alone in the house with my
little Minnie yonder, who was then just
about year old. By this time | had got
over my first fears, and didn't mind bit
being left by myself; indeed all the lower
windows having bars across them, Thought
that / was safe enough; but l little
dreamed of what was coming!


Unjust have been sitting over my sew
ing nearly an hour, with the child playing
dDOut the uOpf bccilC uiC "HCu ouuuchiy y
heard dull thump overhead, as if some
thing had fallen upon the roof. | didn't
think anything of it at the moment, for one
soon gets used to all sorts of strange sounds
in the Indian Jungle; but presently
| thought could hear heavy breathing in
the next room but one, and began to fee
| frightened in earnest. | rose as softly as
could, and crept to the doorway between
the rooms. This doorway was only CLOSED
by curtain, and gently pulling aside tn,
folds, peeped through-and found myself


within few PAGES of the largest panthei


l had ever seen in my life!


"For one moment it was just as if hat


been frozen stiff, and then the though


came to me just as if somebody has spokeI


it The big chestn


"I knew that this chest wonld hold m