, 1877-07-07
Snake story.


We extract the following thrilling tale
from \ volume of adventures recently pub
hshrd in Enrope. The h-ro of the scene il
a sailor. Who. with his companions, were on
al E4-, Ind Ia island, Preparing TO leave II,
hnt could not finish sail they were making.
He says:
We worked hard, and being bunglers,
much of the work had 10 be done over again
three or four times. We were, however.
pre,ry n-ar III. end of onr job. when an al
venture beiel nv, the recollection OF which,
reproduced 10 dresms, often makes me START
up in bed in n cold so eat of horror. have
sern il todd, not qui correctly, IN popular
Periodical, probobly by -oine one who hAd
heard il directly or indirectly from me. L.
thus tell out The sail, Ing sail, aid not
set we'll. having. or brlirying had. more
knowledy- upun the subj-c than the Others,
rrm.iu-d by the bat, whilst my mates re-
tarnei TO the shIp, turned in, and made
themselves comfortable. l worked On till
had thoroughly wearied myself-fur the
S .u hern night, with It's glorious moon and
fields of splendid stars, Was as brilliant as
day, though cold for the climate, chill
wind having set ir Immediately after sunset.
Thus, with ne work | was engaged in
cutting aud stitching The sall-did not IN
duce warm b, 40 hat l parfo.k more freely
than il was NV wont TO do of ,he excellent
brandy had provided myself with. A. ali
ey-n,s. tired, yrxrd-fOr could not 50 set
the sail a. 10 bend il on the s6Ip-Sh ape, and
p-rhats more than half seas over II was not
nn abs emiuus mau in those days, lay down
ins' under the lee OF the bnat, took few
pulls at the brandy flsk, and dropped off 10
-lerp. Srep Yes. the sleep of devils
Fnghrful. horrible dTeam- oppressed me.
was : fled. crushed wIrh nightmare That
was the impression on my half unconscious
mind Al l,.si | fully uke. Good God
the ICY chill which ran through my veins,
when l. by brilliant moonlight, discovered
the cause Of the nightmare which was ST.
fling me.
The fetid, horrible smell of serpents was IN
nv II strils, and | saw that two cobrss, one,
rhe largest l had ever seen, were lying on
nv bre,st-wbrre they had no d1ub' crrpr
for warmrh-twin-d together, and, being
quite mo'iouless. were, judged, asleep. 10
SIR. 10 awake them, wGs certain death. In
less tnan an hour, ii | were bi; en- ever 30
slishly, should be a mr-s OF currup'lon
Paralyzrd, faIuting with fear, lay price ly
sill, but feeling that The dreadful suspense
cyuid not be l,uy endured, and must soon
start up and c.st off the horrible reptiles Oh
any risk They were evidrntlg asleep, and
might be flung at d dis ance before being able
90 make use of hrir fatal fangs.
But, m-rcful Cod they begin TO stir
TO wriyyIe from each other / am lost
Hal Il that III Snapping, chirPius bark
of our pet muuguusr (Ichurumonsl which
alarms the reptiles? Lr inc explain,
The mong .ose Is the natural epemy OF
snakes, and III II comb vi h one IL sare 10
be the vic,or. The bite of he snake prodn-
c-s hut ii momenrary rtfsci npon the little
auimAl-apprars to make It gIdiy Tor fr"
minutes, when il srrms 10 Trt over Itrcit 10y
eating he. Gs growing Among he grass IhI-.
however, Is disputed point. However II
may be, he muugouse swiftly returns 10 he
attack and the snake, as l was told, Is lnVa-
rtny killed
The island furnished ichueumops almost
~ plrn tiiutly as snakes. Lttranc and Dd
mont managed 10 tame and Gomes Icste three
OF Ih-m-uat II very difficult ask-knowIne
hat uut one OF Ihr s.Tpent Tribe will approuch
where they are or have breu recently, no
more than n cockroach viii venture out OF
mis- hole in q kItshes where hedgehog
K-.ps watch snd Ugrd. Our ichneum1nS
were special pes of mine, and were then.
ec-nriug he s"rpen's and missing me and the
evening meal | always provided tor them,
comiug 20 The rvS~ue
Yrs, 10y heaven! he qniek ears OF The ser
p-nrs have recognized 'he rapid app oach OF
The dreaded mon goos- their hOrrid snake
..Iane-s glow wuh fear aud rage their hoods
dilate as ihry uu'wist then-elve-, and gi'd- |
pff IN the hope of escape; bGr, finding that |
i'm IMPOSSIBLE. turn 10 fshf. The ichneu'non-
desire no hing better. They spring upon 'he
,rrpen'r, bite them upon the back par; OF 'he |
head, aud carry on The battle, o: which am |
a delighted 'sp~c aror, with Il spirit, cheer
fnl chlrrupy visor, which Is, | feel, though |
l never actually Witnessed such a e''moa' \
before. a sure augury OF success. The oa Tie |
IL not u proiracied Uue-ihe snakes IRE dead, |
and my pets running after and .eaplng up al |
me appear 10 know hey have re-Curd me
rrIm dea,h, and will nave III rrward an even
mure b,uutIfal supper than usual. ihey are
not mistaken. Our friends and my fellows,
were painfully excired by the incident which |
b d, however. 50 happily Terminated. ana |
f,r my part, l was not myself again Tor sev
eral days. / never slept IN the open air |
"gain.