Des Arc weekly citizen., 1867-08-24
A Terrible Bedfellow.


 Hooked at my neighbor with consid- erable curiosity. His face indicated a man of not over thirty years, period at which men are still young; but his hair was as white as the fresh fallen snow. One seldom secs, even on tho heads of the oldest men, hair of such immaculate whitcness. He sat by my side in car of the Great Western Rail way, in Canada, aid was looking out of the window. Suddenly tur'hfng his head he caught me in the act of star ing at him-a rudeness of which was ashamed, and was about to make an apology. when he quietly remarked:
 Don't mention it, sir, I'm used to it,
 The frahkncss ofithfs remark pleased me, and in very little time we were conversing on terms of familiar ac- quaintanceship ;and before long he told me the whole story.
 q was soldier in the army of India, 2 said he, "and, as is often the case with soldiers, was a-little too fond of liquor. One day got drunk, and was shut up in the black hole for it. fell down upon the floor of the dungeon, and I was just dropping off to sleep, when felt cold, slimy shape crawl ing across my right hand as it lay stretched above my head on the floor. I knew at once that it was snake 1! Ofcourse, Thy first impulse was to draw away my hand but knowing that if I did so. the poisonous reptile would probably strike it's fangs into me, lay still, with my heart beating in my breast like trip hammer. Of course, my fright sobcred me instantly. I re- alized all my peril in it's fullest extent.
 Oh, how fAmented the hour that had touched liquor. In every glass of liquor they say there fs serpent; but it does not come ill the shape it came to me. With a slow, undulating mo- ton, the reptile dragged it's carcass across my face, inch by inch, anS erept down over my breast and thrust it's head inside my jacket. As felt the hidcous scraping of inc slin.y body over my checks, it was only by the most tremen- dohs effort that succeeded in restrain ing myself from yelling loudly with mingled terror and disgust.
 At last I felt the tail wriggling down toward my chin; but imagine whist I felt at heart-if you can imagine it=-as i realized that the dreadful crea- ture had coiled itself under my jacket as lay, and had seemingly gone to sleep, for it was as still as death. Evi- dcntly it had no idea that was a human creature if it had it would never have acted in this manner. All snakes are cowardly, and they will not approach a man unless to strike him in self-de- fense. Three hours lay with dread ful weight in fay bosom, and each minute was like an hour to me-like a year. seemed to have lived lifetime in that brief space. Every incident of my life passed across my memory in rapid succession, as they say is tho case with drowning man. thought of my mother, away in old England my happy home by the Avon my Mary, the girl loved, and never expected to see them any more.
 ''Tor, no matter how long bore this, felt that it would end in death at last. l lay as rigid as corpse, scarcely dar- ing even to breathe, and all the time my breast was growing colder and col der where the snake was lying against it, with nothing but thin cotton shirt between my skin and it. know if I stirred it would strike but I felt that I could not bear this much longer. Even if l succeeded in lying still until the guard came, expected his opening the door and coming in would be my death-warrant all the same, for no doubt the reptile would see that I was man as soon as the light should be let in at the door.
 "At last l heard footsteps approach ing. There was rattling at the lock. It was the guard. He opened the door. The snake-=a cobradi capcllo-I now saw, darting up it's huge hooded head, with the hideoas rings around it's eyes, as if about to strike. I shut my eyes and murmured prayer. Then it gli- ded away with a swift motion and disappeared in the darkness. I stag gered to my feet and fell swooning in- to the arms of the guard. For weeks after, was sick, and when was able to be about I found my hair was as you see it now. have not touched drop of liquor since."
 LYING IN BED.-It is often question among people who are unacquaintcd with the anatomy and physiology of