Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1867-06-07
\ rERRIRLE BEpFEILoM.


l looked az nay neighbor with considerable
curiosity. His face indicated man Of not
over thirty vears-a period &C which men
are stiIl vouDe. bat his haIr was as white as
fresh fallen snow. One seldom. sees even
on the heads of the oldest men, hair Of such
inmacculate Ehiteness. He sat by my side
In car of the Great Western Railroad, 10
Canada. and was looking oat at the window.
Suddenly turning bis head be caught me ne
tbs act af aEar1ngas hiE1 FnE1enes CT Whteh
was ashamed. | was about to say some
words Of apology, when be quietly remark
Cd:
HDon't mention it, sir. / N used to it.
The frankness OF this observation pleased
ne. and in a very little while We were con
versing on terms Of familiar acquaintance
ship. and before long be had told me the
whole story.
Il was soldier in the army Of India, -
aid Be. and as Is often the case with sol
iiers was a little too fond Of good liquor.
One day | got drunk and was shut mp il
the black hole for H. laid down upon the
floor Of the dungeon, and was just dropping
Of 70 sleep, wbenI felt . cold, shiny shape
crawling across my right hand, as il lay
stretched cut above my head On the tioor.
| knew al once what It was-a snake. Of
course my first impulse was to draw away
nv hand. hut knowing If ] did 50 the poi
s0n0us reptile would probably strike its
faDgs into me, I lay still with my heart beat
ing IN my breast Ike q trip hammer, VI
course my fright sobeTed me instantly
realized all my peril in its fullest extent y,
how lamentsd the hour that ! had touch
cd liquor Iu every glass Of liquor they
say there II a serpent; but Il does not come
10 everybody Ein the shape il came 70 me
With a slow. undulatiRg motion the reptile
dragged It's carcass across ny face, IGch by
inch. and crept down over my breast, and
thrust It's head inside my jacket As l felt
the bi3cous scraplng Of the Shiny body over
my cheeks it was only by the most tremen-
d0us effort that | succeeded IL restraining
myself from yelling loudly with mingled
terror and disgust. At last I ielt the tail
HIigzliag down towards my chin, bat ina
CINE what / felt a. heart, ifyou caE imagine
il. as I realized that the dreadful creature
had coiisd itself up under ny Jacket Is / lay
and had seemingly gone 70 sleep. for II was
still a death Evidently il had Do idea
that vas a human creature; # i had i
would not have acted Ia this manner. All
snakes are e9Farliy, and they viii not APP
proach 3 man unless 10 strike him IN self
defenee. Three hours lay Eith that dread
ful weight iu nay bosom, and each minute
was hke an h0uF TO Ue-lIke year. /
seemed 10 have lived lifetime n that
brief space, Every incident Of by life pass
ed aeTass r8y mEGa IN rapid succession, as
they saT II the case wlth drowning men. l
thought Gi U5y mother away IN old Eng
l1Hd. ny Lappy home b. the borders Of the
Avon. ny MARI. the girl / loved aBd never
exfee+e3 On see them more For DO matter
how bong [ bore this ! felt thar il would
end IS death si las' ] lay as rigid as .
caru-e. scarcely daring even . breathe, and
all the tiEue mF breast wss growing colder
and colder where the snake lay against il
With nothing but > thin cotton shirt between
nv skin sni IT, I kaew IF stirred Il would
strike; but iel. ! could not bear this much
longer. Even If / succeeded IN lying still
until the guard came, | expected that his
opening the do1r and coming in would te
my death warrant for % doubt the reptile
would see that | was uaB, g. s5oa a. the
light should be Jet In a. the door. At last
heard footsteps approaching. There was
a rafting IN the lock Il was the guard.
He orened the dooT The snake c1Jr1
d11plRg I nov saw-darted Rp IT. huge
head, With the kide11s rings e-ound It's
aEes. as if about TO strike. / shus my eyes,
and murm1rcd a short prayer. Thea il
1lI4ad away With 2 sElft motInn and dlsap-
peargl IN the darkness ] staggered 10 my
feet and .eli sEgouing into the srTas Of the
guard For weeks after / vas very SICK.
and WEa0 ] was able % he about ! found
that ~ hair EaS white a. E61 see Il. I have
nsveT to8ehad a drop 5f liquor lBea. -
Va 3 .rt Szkes-