Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1851-08-19
Encounter with a Serpent. IA Fact.

Encounter with a Serpent IA Fact
In the vicinity of the barracks
assigned to the European soldiers
in India, thereis usually a number
of little solitary cells, where the dis
orderly members of the corps are
confined for longer or shorter terms
by order Of the commanding Off
Ger. In one of these at Madras,
on certain occasion, was locked
up Jack Hall, Scotcbman, belong
ing to Edinburg or Leith. Jack
had got intoxicated, and being
found in that condition at the hour
of. drill, was sentenced TO eight days
solita AIRY imprisonment. Soldiers in
India have their bedding partly fur
nish ed by the Honor able c Company,
and find the rest themselves
About this part of the house fur
nishing, however, Hall troubled
himself very little, being one of
those hardy, reckless beings on
whom privation and suffering seem
to make no impression. A hard
floor was as good as a downy bed
to Jack, and, therefore, as he never
scrlIpled to sell what he got, it may
be supposed that his sleeping furni-
tureI was none Of the most album
dant or select.
Such as It was, he was S stretched
upon and under it one night in his
cell, during his term of penance,
andihe was rejecting on the impro-
priety of in future putting an enc
my lin his mouth to steal away his
braIns,'' when 10, he thought he
heard a rustIing in the cell close
behind him. At this moment he
recollected that he had not, as he
ought to have done, stopped up the
air+hole which entered the cell on a
level v ith its floor. a nd ais o with a
rock e SternalIy, on which the build
ing wal placed. A strong suspicion
of what had happened, or what was
about 10 happen, came over Halls
mind, but he knew it was probably
too late to do any good, could he
even find the hole in the darkness,
and get it closed. He therefore lay
still, and in a minute or two he
heard another rustic close by him,
which was followed by Che cold,
shiny touch Of a snake upon his
b bre feet! WHO, in. such situa-
t lon would not hare started and
cried for help?
Jack did neither; he. lay stone
sIiIl, and held his peace, knowing
that his cries would most probably
have been unheard by the distant
guard. Had his bed clothes been
more plentiful, he might have en-
deayored to protect himself by
wrapping them more closely around
him. but this their scantiness for
bade.
Accordingly, being aware that, al
though motion or t6uch will pro-
woke a snake to bite, they will not
generally do it without such excite
ment. Jack held himself as still as if
he had been log. Meanwhile,
his horrible bedfe|low, which he at
once felt to be of great size, crept
over his feet, legs and body; and
lastly over his very tace! Nothing
but the most astonishing firrnness of
nerve. and the consciousness that
the moving Of a muscle would have
signed his death warrant, could
have enabled the poor fellow to I'M
dergo this dreadful trial. For a
whole hour did the reptile crawl
back wards and forwards over
Jacks body and face, as if satisfy
ing itself that it had nothing to fear
from the recumbent object on its
own part. At length it took up a
,o.;,;o, somewhere about his head,
and went TO rest in apparent secu-
rity. The poor soldiers trial how
ever. was not over. Till daylight
he remained in the same posture,
fiat on his back, without daring to
move a limb, for fear Of disturbing
lis dangerous companion
Never, perhaps, was dawn 50
ahxiously looked for by mortal
man When it did come, Jack
looked cautiously about hin, arose
nj piselessly, and moved oyer 70 a
H. ell where there Law