166 THE LEOPARD. 



used their united efforts to pull him down by the 

 tail. He one morning missed the Governor, who 

 was settling a dispute in the hall, and who, be- 

 ing surrounded by black people, was hidden from 

 the view of his favourite. Sai wandered with a de- 

 jected look to various parts of the fortress, in search 

 of him; and, while absent on this errand, the audience 

 ceased, the Governor returned to his private rooms, 

 and seated himself at a table to write. Presently he 

 heard a heavy step coming up the stairs, and, raising 

 his eyes to the open door, he beheld Sai. At that 

 moment he gave himself up for lost ; for Sai imme- 

 diately sprang from the door on his neck. Instead, 

 however, of devouring him, he laid his head close to 

 the Governor's, rubbed his cheek upon his shoulder, 

 wagged his tail, and tried to evince his happiness. 

 Occasionally, however, the panther caused a little 

 alarm to the other inmates of the castle, and the poor 

 woman who swept the floors, or, to speak technically, 

 pra-pra woman, was made ill by her fright. She 

 was one day sweeping the boards of the great hall 

 with a short broom, and in an attitude nearly ap- 

 proaching to all-fours, and Sai, who was hidden un- 

 der one of the sofas, suddenly leaped upon her back, 

 where he stood in triumph. She screamed so vio- 

 lently as to summon the other servants : but they, 

 seeing the panther, as they thought, in the act of 

 swallowing her, one and all scampered off as quickly 

 as possible ; nor was she released till the Governor, 

 wbc heard the noise, came to her assistance. Straa- 



