Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1867-06-27
a r.rrlhle Bed-FelIoyy.


TINrn fne N. L. OOnllHtEclstA -hoNfittotis
looked at my neighbor with consld-
ernble curiosity. His face indicated man
of not over thirty years-a period at
which men are still young. One seldom
aces, even on the heads ofthe oldest men,
hair of such immaculate whiteness. lie
sat BY my side in a car of the Great Wes-
tern Railroad, in Canada, and was look
ing ont of The window Suddenly turn
ing his head he caught me in the act of
staring at him--a rudeness of which L
was ashamed. i was about 10 say words
OF apology, when he quietly remarked:
"Do MT mention 1t, sir. Tn used to
it,"
The frankness of this observation pleas
ed me, and in little while we were con-
versing on terms of familiar acquaint-
anoeship, and before long he told me the
whole story.
"I was a soldier in the army of india"
said he, "and, as is often the case with
soldicrs, was little too fond of liquor.
One day got drunk, and was shut up
in the black hole for it. Islumped down
upon the floor of the dungeon, and was
Just dropping off to sleep, when | felt a
cold, slimy shape crawling across my
right hand as it lay stretched out above
my head on the floor. 1 knew at once
what it was--a snake! OF course my
frat impulse was to draw away my eand;
but knowing that If did so the poison
ousreptile would probably strike its fangs
into me- lay still, with my heart beat
ing in my breast like trip hammer. OF
course my fright sobered me instantly.
I realized all my peril in its fullest extent.
oh, how lamented the hour that | had
touched liquor! In every glass of liquor
there ia serpent; but it does not come
10 everybody in the shape it came to me.
yLTitI ell tIn1ttIati N n A inf inn tha IL
tile dragged its carcass across my face,
inch by inch, and crept down ovCf my
breast and thrust its head inside my
Jacket As I felt the hideouS scraping
OF the shiny body over my cheeks it was
only by the most tremendous effort that
succeeded in restraining myself from
yelling loudly with mingled terror and
disgust. At last felt the tail wriggling
down toward my chin; but timagine what
felt at my heart, If you can imagine it,
ss realized that the dreadful creature
had coied itselfup under my jacket as
lay, and had seemingly gone to sleep, for
II was still as death. Evidently ii had nc
idea that | was human creature; if il
had il would not have acted in that way
All snakes are cowardly, and they viii
not approach man unless to strike hin
in self-defence. Three hours | lay with
that dreadful weight in my bosom, and
each minute was like an hour to me-
like year. [ seemed to have lived q life
time in that brief space. Every incident
Of my life passed through my memory
in rapid succession, as they say is the
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 more For no matter how long
bore this, [ felt that it would end in death
at last. lay as rigid rs a corpse, scarce
ly daring even to breathe and all til,
while my breast was growing colder ant
colder where the snake was lying against
It, with nothing but q thin cotton shir
between my skin and it. l knew tina
II stirred it would strike, but | coult
not bear this much longer. Even If
succeeded in lying still until the guar,
came, ! expected his opening the doc
and coming in would be my death war
lilo would see that l was man rs sool
"a the light was let in nj the door. a
last ! heard footsteps approaching.
There was rattling at the lock. 1t wa
tho guard. He opened the door. TIN
snake-a cobra di capello / now saw
darted up its huge hooded head, with tn
hideous rings about its eyes, as If abou
to strike. / shut my eyes and murmur
ell prayer. Then 1t glided away witt
swift motion and disappeared in tn
darkness. | staggered to my feet ant
fell swooning in the arms of the guard
For weeks | was very sick, and when
was able to be about found my hair wa
whiio as you now see 1t. | have nc
touched q drop of liquor since.