PANTHER IN A BUNGALOW.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13307, 13 October 1906, Page 5 (Supplement)

PANTHER IN A BUNGALOW.

SITS DOWN OPPOSITE A LOOKINGGLASS. From time to time, writes LieutenantColonel Rundle to the. Field, one occasionally hears accounts of tigers and leopards taking shelter in houses and villages, but I think the episode which happened here (in Jubbulpore) on Friday, June 22, in the middle of the day and inside my bungalow, is quite unique, and may prove of . interest. About one p.m. I was sitting writing in my verandah, when my wife came out from a "side of the bungalow which we only use for visitors, and said that she had seen the tail of a panther protruding from behind a very large coil of matting which was standing on its end in a corner of the. room. Taking a rifle myself, and arming my wife and the battery rough rider, who had unexpectedly turned up, also with rifles, wfe decided on .'.hooting it in the room, and iii the event of its bolting out of the house by the only route wo deemed it would most probably take, my wife and the rough rider stood outside, prepared to give it a warm reception. Opening the door just sufficiently to get my rifle through. 1 fired through the grass matting roll at the spot which 1 thought most likely to be fatal to the panther. The crack of the rifle was followed by a whough and a growl, and out came the beast straight for the door behind which I was standing. The angry beast passed me within a foot or two, and I had just time, to see it was badly wounded in the stomach. It immediately proceeded to bolt into an adjoining room. ATTRACTIONS OF TH MIRltOI!. As there were ten rooms 011 the ground floor, in any of which lie could take, cover, I postponed pursuing the animal until the arrival of St. Macau, who now appeared, aimed with a Paradox. Each room in turn was carefully reconnoitred, the blood tracks being very copious, showing exactly where it had gone. In one room a halt, had been made opposite a large mirror, in which the panther, which afterwards proved to be a female, must have seen its image, as the presence of a very large pool of blood showd that the animal had sat down. Eventually, after searching all but one spare room, we found it in the latter, again taking shelter behind a coil of matting. This time there was a window in the room, some 14ft off the ground, so by climbing on the roof a good view of the beast was possible. A ladder was procured, the roof was surmounted, and a glance through the window, or skylight, showed my friend, sitting in the corner, ready to make a spring. Unfortunately it saw me before I could get my rifle up. Taking fright, it bolted out. this time passing through the house, and close to St. Macau, who fired at it as it. passed under a bed, and again a second later as it went through the. door. Neither shot proved fatal, except to certain portions of the furniture! But they had the effect- of driving it out.of the house, badly wounded, across the tennis court into the mess compound, which is just opposite my house. Here it tried to take shelter in the cookhouse, but, failing to get in. it turned towards the servants' quarters, scattering the numerous occupants and their belongings, such as fowls and dogs, in all directions. THE SWEEPER'S RACK. Just at this moment an inquisitive sweeper emerged from his house to see what the commotion was. Quickly spotting him, the panther made for the man as fast, as his wounds permitted. A race ensued between | the two, which onlookers reported as having its humorous as well us its serious side. Too feeble to do harm, the beast merely j made two or three ■ dutches at the man's I clothes, and then, turning into an outhouse, j lie was polished off with a shot from a .577. Within a radius of six miles of Jubbtil- I poree panthers are common, and a three- I quarter-grown tiger cub was accounted for j in a nullah on the present golf links. J