New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1858-09-01
Tn Red with a serpenf.

might have slept some lOur or five hours, and
dreamless and satisfying sleep it was, but certain is
-sciolists say what they will, and sceptcs throw
doubts by haudsfu the assertions of metaphys-
ieians-that, before I awoke and in my dreamIess
slumber, l had q visible perception Of peril-a CON
seriousness of the lowering presence of death How
to describe my feelings know not but as we have
all read and heard that, if the eyes OF watcher
steadily fixed the countenance of sleeper for
certain length of time the sIuberer will be sure to
start up, awakened by the mysterious magnetism OF
recondte principle of eairvoyance-so it was that,
with shut eyes and droWsed up senses, an inward
ability was conferred upon me to detect the living
presence of danger near meto see through sleep the
Ormless shape OF mysterious horror crouching be-
side me and, as if the peril that my nightmare
was of a nature to be quickened into fatal activity
/ by any motion on my part felt in my very stupOr
the critical necessity of lying quite still, that,
when at last awOke and felt that, lay with my
face towards the roof there thick heavy, cold,
creeping thing my chest stirred not, nor uttered
a word of panic,
Danger and fear may occasionally dull the senses
and parayze the faculties, but they frequently
sharpen both and ere could twice wink my eyes,
broad awake and aware that, coiling itself in
circle of twists, an enormous serpent was on my
breast. When tell you that the whole of my chest
| and even the pit of my stomach were covered with
the cold seafy proportions of the reptile, you will
own that it must have been one of considerable size
| What my thoughts Were-so much made up of ab.
hOFrence, dread and speedy expectation, nay, assu-
rance, OF speedy death that must follow any move.
nent on my part-I can never hope to tell in lam
guage sufficiently distinct and vivid to convey full
force. 1t evident that the loathsome creature
had at last settled itself to sleep; and felt thankful
that, attracted by my BREATH it had not approached
the upper part of my throat 1t became quite still,
and its weghty pressure-ts first clammy Chilliness
becoming gradually, so it seemed to me-of burn
ing heat, and the odious, indeseTibabe od0r which
exhaled from its body and pervaded the whole air,
so oVerawed me, that it was only by severe strug
gle that preserved myself from shrieking
AS it was, cold sweat burst from every pore,
hat nfy l,o0FF fv
increased disay that the palsy Of terror had begun
to agitate my limbs. It will wake, thought l, and
then all is over. At that junetnre something-it
might have been a Wallizard or large beetle-feli
from the ceiling upon my left arm which lay
stretched at my side The snake uncoiling its head,
raised itself with low hiss, and then for the first
time, saw it, saw the hood, the terrible crest gilt
tpring in the mOonshine. 1t a Cobra de Gapella
Shading my eyes to exclude the dreadful spectac Ie
lay almost fainting until all was quiet again. HaC
its fiery glance encountered mine, all would hayt
been over, but, apparently it was once more asleep
and presently heard the Lasear moving about IN
doing the fastening of the tent, and striking light
thought suddenly struck me, and with an impulse
could hardly ascribe to nothing short of desperation
though It's effects were 50 pT9Yidentia uttered IL
loud but sepulchral tone, !" Knllassi Lascarn " sa
hb!a was the instantaneous response, and my heart
beat quicker at the success of my attempt.
lay still again. for the reptile evidently reused
made a movement, and its head, as | suppose. fell
|, upon my naked arm. Oh, God! the agony of that
moment, when suppressed trem0r almost gave way
to madness! debated with myself whether shoult
again eudeavor to attract the attention of the Kul
ass or remain perfectly quiet, or whether it woull
not be better than either to at once and shak
the disgustfu burthen from me. But the latter sug
geston was at once abandoned because of the assuE
ance felt that it would prove fatal impeded by tn
Q heavy coils of the creature weak and nervous iron
Y excitement l could not escape It's fangs. Again
therefore spoke with the hollow but distinct accent
s which arise from the throat when the speaker
: afraid to move muscle, "Kullassi, ohiraghn La
: car a anthorn "Latah own, Sahib!n am bring
ing with it, sir There was then a sound of elansin
metal light advancing flashed across the roof of th
verauda, and at the noise of coming steps, 10 on
after one OF its terrible coils unwinding, the grzz
monster giided away from my body, and the Ia
q sounds which struck my sense Of hearing were til
'.Ya iIhhi samp!9 oh. God, snake Of the lasca
for had tainted awav for the first time in my life