CARNARTA. CARNIVORA. 99 



and his teeth and claws having been filed, there 

 was no danger of tearing our clothes. He was kept 

 in the above court for a week or two, and evinced 

 no ferocity, except when one of the servants tried 

 to pull his food from him ; he then caught the of- 

 fender by the leg, and tore out a small piece of 

 flesh, but he never seemed to owe him any ill-will 

 afterwards. He one morning broke his cord, and 

 the cry being given, the castle gates were shut, and 

 a chase commenced. After leading his pursuers 

 two or three times round the ramparts, and knock- 

 ing over a few children by bouncing against them, 

 he suffered himself to be caught, and led quietly 

 back to his quarters, under one of the guns of the 

 fortress. 



" By degrees the fear of him subsided ; and orders 

 having been given to the sentinels to prevent his 

 escape through the gates, he was left at liberty to 

 go where he pleased, and a boy was appointed to 

 prevent him from intruding into the apartments of 

 the officers. His keeper, however, generally passed 

 his watch in sleeping ; and Sai, as the panther was 

 called after the royal giver, roamed at large. On 

 one occasion, he found his servant sitting on the 

 step of the door, upright, but fast asleep ; when 

 he lifted his paw, gave him a blow on the side of 

 his head, which laid him flat, and then stood wag- 

 ging his tail, as if enjoying the mischief he had 

 committed. He became exceedingly attached to the 

 governor, and followed him everywhere like a dog. 

 His favourite station was at the window of the sit- 



F 2 



