Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1854-04-13

enthroned amidst its sparkling coils, glaring a
me with frery eyes, beheld an enormous head
ed snake; and faintness, so cold, so sickening
seized upon me that thought was going te
die. just then the sweet and subdued sounds
of music fell upon my ears, the melody rising
by degrees, and then again sinking into cadcn.
ces, from which up it scared once more with
melancholy harmony. recognized the simple
reed-pipe which is played by the native juggers
at their exhibitions, but | dared not lift my
head to look. The snake lowered its scaly crest
then, inclining away from me by degrees, as the
music proceeded, turned fairly round, its tail
once more twisting about my feet as it retreated
Again it raised its terrible head, no longer front
ing me, but seeming intently listening to the
symphony, no longer Kissing, but uttering a
strange noise, like the suppressed cluck Of hen,
and thus, sweeping withsslow, yet stately zig.
gag motion, it gode onwards to the spotwhen
the music issued.
Cup, now, dear Rob-" cried George Halse
and attempting to rise, fell back in his arms
| must tell the truth tainted
When [ came to myself, found that in addi-
sion to Halse, | had three other attendants, nor
could at first collect my senses sufficiently to
understand my position. A loud hiss, then a
series of sibillatons from three or four covered
baskets of plated glass, explained the mystery.
They belonged, those snake repositories, to two
celebrated snake charmers, and to them, under
Providence, owed my life.
Halse told me that, getting anxious about
me, and tired of bis load of game, he was leav.
ing the jungle, when he met native, who will
lingly undertook so carry his gamc-bag. Ask.
ing him if he had seen white gentleman, the
man replied in the negative; lie had only seer
two persons, snake catchers, who had came from
Madras to collect serpents, and he had left them
nor far off, near some fields of Gunny.
Anxious to watch their proceedings" con.
tinncd Halse, 81 requested the fellow to lcat
me to them, and we soon came up to where they
were still rcposing. They told US they were go
ing to the other end of the field, to an abandon
ed ant.hill, which they knew to be the abode Of
a large cobra di capello, and offered to exhibit
their proceedings if promised them duhsh,sh
Of course the douceur was promised, and off we
set Picture my alarm and surprise at reaching
this place to behold you almost cnveloped in the
folds of the terrible reptile; nor were my COM
panions free from apprehensions for your safety.
You had laid down close to the mouth of the
creatures den ; what its intentions would be we
dared not think, but single movement on your
part must undoubtedly haveroused its vengeance
The jugglers behaved admirably. | wanted tc
fire at it, but they dissuaded me, and assured
me that they had hopes Of not only wiling the
snake by the sound Of pipe from your side
but of eventually capturing it. They were right
the creature is in one Of those cages, though moi
from it, but from some of its race, rendered less
dangerous by the extraction of its fangs, pro-
ceeds that charming chorus of hisses. 1t was a
beautiful sight to see the venomous thing moved
by the influence of the music, unwind the yolu-
minous coils that rigned it, and leaving its haz-
ardous perusal of your face, turn from you to
seek its destruction As it neared them the
charmers, sprinkling some strong-scented pow
der on heap of withered leaves to which they
set fire, continued to play concealed behind the
bushes; but presently the snake, as if doubly
fascinated by the incense and music, relaxed its
movements, and in a moment after, lowering its
crest, sank intoxicated on the ground. In an
other instant, lleless to all appearance, it was
basketed and there again returned to conscious
ness it awaits the moment when no doubt its
crafty capturers will deprive it of its hidden ar
mony of fangs. How they achieve this process
they refuse to tell, but we owe them more thai
cold thanks, and have told them to visit TIL
camp this evening"
need not say that ample was the gift tn
worthy jugglers received from us; nor can it b
necessary to add, that as retired to bed tha
night, fervcnt were my prayers of thankfnlnes
to Him, who, at the hour of EXTREMIST peril
had sent me rescue But ever since then, hav
more than is customary with the most timid fe
male continued to experience cowardly fear G
reptiles am convinced that the proximity g
a serpent, although concealed and it may b
innocuous, is revealed to me by a peculiarl
delicate sense of smell. Thounplcasant, musk
odor of snake has frequently awakened me b.
night, when, carefully, enclosed from danger
within the firmly attached foldings of my mos
quito curtains in my tent on March, | hav
felt and tremblcd at the presence of creatur
to whose neighborhood | would have preferre'
the midnight bandit or the lurking leopard.