Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1850-04-27

the province of Condopilly from the hands

a single individual was stirring about ou
quarters, I strolled towards the mountain
gorge, and had stumbled almost TO the toI
OF the steep acclivlty before the faint flusl
of dawn bad reused the sentinel, whose
call awoke the solitary pair of musicians o
our party, drummer and fifer, to sound tht
reveille. In ten minutes more | stood pant
ing on the summit Of the rock, gazing !hirs
tily on the scene beneath me, where AsiatiC
beauty winded slowly before me, like {
glorious river, whose changeablc waters
the eye tired not of drinking. ! had ne
fear of thief or thug, for late excursion ir
the district behind me had assured me safe
| ty; but, nevertheless, | started violently
when, from the branches of a stately pee
pul tree that grew close by, dark figure
that seemed of human proportions, leaped
with gibbering cry upon the ground.
l had no great reason to be alarmed, fol-
! saw not a man but monkey-one oi
these long-legged, brown monkeys with
white streaked faces that abound in these
heights and which, probably little less
| startled than myself. receded as | advanced.
jabbering its dissatisfaction at my intrusion.
AT the foot of the peepul tree, throwing up
its rich while petals, that shed around a
sweet but sickening odor, grew a magniti-
cent plant of the datura; and as ] stopped
to pluck it, rustic in the underwood be-
yond, followed by an acute, sharp scream,
which ascribed to my friend the monkey,
arrested my hand. had Judged correctly;
but | had underrated the number Of my
early companions. With spring that
brought it almost to my feet, making me in
my turn retreat, the monkey lay moaning
and as | thought violently convulsed among
the grass; nor did | at the moment per-
ceive, what indeed | discovered with de-
gree OF horror, that round its body was
twisted gorgeously spotted snake-the
cobra di capcllo! | wish | could describe
the maddened contortionS Of the monkey,
as, wrthng beneath the straining coils OF
the reptile, it rolled on the grass in vain
efforts 10 rid itself of its deadly assailant.-
The piteous gaze of its eyes, as they wist-
fully looked up into my face, was eloquent
with summons for help which ] was by
no means inclined 10 resist. Whether the
snake had bitten it or not, | could not guess,
for it seemed TO me as if il were merely
playing with the animal-that fatal game
which the cat plays with the mouse But
| shouted, and threw stone, and then sciz-
ing a wlhered branch that lay on the
ground, | advanced to the charge. The
monkey, which at another time would have
fled at my approach, now remained per-
fectly motlonless, as if it waited certain
succor. But the serpent, aroused to the
cognizance of an asSaiant by a smart blow
on the head, instantly initiating its horrid
crest into that hood-like form which rem
ders it so appailingly hideous, gave vent to
loud hiss that seemed brimful Of poison.
Again and again struck at it nor was
it without a cold thrill through my veins
that | beheld it disengage itself from the
monkey but far from attempting to make
its escape, as l conjectured it would do, it
turned itself half erect, towards me, and
with futtering hobble-like the hop OF a
bird whose wings have been broken-it
leaped, with forked tongue protruded, right
into my very path! There was no time
for thought. My stick was neither strong
nor long. could see the venemous eyes
burn like fire, and the colors of its swelling
neck glow more deeply, as IT prepared to
spring again and was fairly on the point
OF making my retreat by plunging at all
hazards down the rock behind me, when a
shrill, chirrupping cry, somewhat like that
of guinea-pig, was heard, and suddenly
an elegant little creature, which at The mo-
ment | was well-nigh ready TO spritualze
into good genius, sprung upon the serpent
with bound of ightsome fcrocity, which
reminded me Of the swoop Of @ kite upon a
water-rat.
1t was mungoos! And now, indeed, a
combat took place which fixed me to the
spot in mute admiration but not for long.
Once or twice it seemed to me that the
mungoos was bitten, bu: it might not have
been so ; for the velocity of their move
ments, as, clinging together, the snake and
its foe rolled over and over amongst the
long grass prevented minute observation.-
1t is asserted that, when bitten by snake,
the lchneumon retres for moment to eat
some unknown plant, capable OF rendering
null the viperine venom; but on this occa-
sion nothing of the sort occurred The
mungoes left not the conflict for breathing
space and at the end of about ten minutes
the cobra di capello lay dead, torn and
mangled piece-meal by the little animal,
which irisked and danced about with
purring sound, in perfect frenzy of en-
joyment
As held out my hand, actually believ-
ing in the enthusiasm of the moment, that il
would approach to receive my caresses,
the mungoos, giving bright, quick look at
me, stamped its tiny hind feet brskly on
the relics of the serpent, as if in scorn of
its victim, and disappeared among the brush
wood.
] had forgotten the poor monkey, found
it stretched out, stiff and stark, among the
datura flowers. The mungoos had come
too late
A man dropped dollar bill upon the track,
in Norwalk, the other day, as train was APP
preaching, and, STOPPING to pick it up, he
was hit on the head by the cow-caicher, and
lost mart Of his scaln