The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1876-10-13

GUS summer-house, built on the edge of
the lake by some former Dutch pro-
prietor, and yet surmounted by large
ball of gilded pith, perched on pole.
Near this summer-house it was my Gus
tom to meet Oswald. And it would be
but very seldom that we were to meet,
henceforth, since, poor fellow, he was
to sail by the Lord Dalhousie, expected
at Point de Gale on the 31st of the
month.
On my way paused now and then,
familiar as was the prospect, to gaze
upon the wide expanse of the lake, the
silvery waters of which rolled away so
grandly that it was hard to conceive that
whatseemed almost entitled to take rank
as an inland sea could be actually the
work of human hands. Flocks of wild
fowl, with white wings and shrill scream,
hovered above the swarm of gorgeously-
tinted fish that swan around the huge
weed-beds, while here and there among
the red lotus blossoms appeared what
might have been easily mistaken for n
floating log, but which I knew to be All
alligator, drowsily basking in the glad
sunshine.
The heavy heat seemed to render ex-
ertion, even for the natives, difficult, for
1 saw no fisher, as usual, padding his
light canoe or preparing his tough nets
of cocoanut fiber; and the very Oinga-
lese woodcutters had deserted their work,
leaving behind them great heap of
hewn timber, in front of which, i'm
bedded in the spongy wood of cypress,
four or five short, bright axes remained
sticking. Some few PAGES from this
heap was the ruinous summer-house,
and beyond it there lowered aloft the
giant talipot tree, with its vast serrated
leaves, that serve the Cingalese for sail
and thatch and screen, beneath which
Oswald and were accustomed to meet.
To my surprise, and perhaps chagrin,
did rot at first see him for whom 1
Iooked, and began to fear that he had
forgotten to keep his wonted tryst; but
on drawing nearer, beheld sight that
for the moment froze my very veins with
horror, and caused the cry of anguish
that rose to my lips to die away. Os-
wald, lying on the turf among the roots
of the gigantic palm tree, seemed to be
asleep, overcome, probably, by the un-
usual heat, while around him was loose
ly coiled something that resembled a
stout rope, curiously streaked with
black, and orange, and white-some-
thing that caused the withered leaves
and crisp grass to. rustic, as it stirred,
writhing.
1 had never seen a living tic palunga,
but I knew at the first glance that the
snake before my eyes was no other than
large specimen of that dreaded reptile,
which in Ceylon takes the position that in
Continental India belongs to the cobra,
for the bite of which there is no known
remedy. Twice within the last three
years, laborers on my fathers planta-
tion had been brought in, dying, from
the venom of the tic palunga, but in
each instance the skill of the native
snake-charmers had led to the capture of
the reptile, and it vas not believed that
any of this species, rare as we'll as dan
gerous, had been left alive in our imme
diate neighborhood. This, however,
was unquestionably q tic palunga, many
feet long, and it had wrapped its coils,
as though in hideous sport, around Os-
wald's limbs as he lay there, uncon-
scious.
The great fiat head of the enormous
snake rested on the ground, among the
flowers and ferns. / could see its eyes,
bright as jewels, fixed upon me, II
showed for the moment, however, nc
particular sign of anger or of distrust,
but contented itself with quietly contem.
,NIa ~, ha .,,fr ,,,>o,, .to ho,,nfo Ae
L stood, gazing on my sleeping lover
and the monstrous creature that lay,
wakeful but quiescent, so near to him,
all the stories of snakes that had ever
heard or read came crowding in upon my
quickened memory. 1 knew that the
tic palunga, in common with most of the
venomous varieties of its race, seldom
employed its poison-fangs unless wher
attacked or annoyed; but also knew
that the hardest elephant-hunter of the
forests would sooner confront the charge
of herd of incensed tuskers, than face
the lance-like dart and rancorous bite o.
this dread denizen of the jungle.
The tic palunga, unlike the boa ani
the python, rarely, if ever, preys upor
the larger animals, such as deer or cattle
confning its diet, for the most part, t.
birds, and frogs, and lizards. Som,
caprice, most likely, had caused it Il
twine part of its supple convolutionl
around Oswald as he lay, and, so Ions
as he remained asleep and motionless
there was little probability that the ser
pent would harm him. My great fea
was lest he should awake, and in awak
ing, by some hasty movement, arous'
the ire of the resistless foe. Oswald wa
brave and strong, but it was mocker,
to speak of strength or courage when 81
terribA an antagonist was in question
Suddenly, as if it had been whispe
from heaven, there came into my minC
a thought that promised hope, even il
that dire extremity of need. 1 had Otter
seen harmless snakes kept tame in colo
nial households, and was aware of thei
habits, and of their love for certain kind
of food, and, above all, for milk. Coul,
l but bring to that spot a supply of milk
and place it, before Oswald should awake
temptingly near to the tic palunga, al
might yet be well. And yet to deser
him-poor fellow-in such terrible com
pany, seemed cruel; yet it was for hi
sake, and / felt that / must go. Yer
slowly, then, lest my footsteps shoul
disturb the sleeper or irritate the hug
reptile that kept watch beside him,