The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1880-02-11
NARROW ESCAPES.
some Ramarkable Occurrence.

sff + s5 d
q number Of years ago I was travel
ing through wild portion of Upper
India. At small village lost every
attendant with whom I had left Delhi
two being struck down with the chol-
era, and the others running away with
my horses thus leaving me afoot and
alone in q region which had the reputa-
ton of being infested with Thugs, rob-
beers and cutthroats. I complained to
the Chief Magistrate of the place, andt
he promised, Of course, that the rascals
should be caught and punished; but it
is my private opinion that he was as
great q scoundrel as any about him,
and that he connived at their escape,
and got the lions share of the spells.
My money and some valuable Jewels
were fortunately secured about my per-
son, and, being armed with double
barreled rife, brace of pistols, and
large Spanish dirk-knife, I thought I
might venture to find my. way, alone
and without q guide, to an English sta
ton about thirty miles distant.
Without making my design known
to the darogah, I placed my baggage
under his charge, telling him I should
hold him responsible for any loss.
And why not, your Honor, watch it
yourseH?" he asked. -~...-
Because the thieves have proved
too many for me already" I answered.
He inquired if [ were going to leave,
which way I intended to travel, if he
should procure me reliable guides and
escort, and SO forth and so on; but I
answered evasively, determined to keep
my design to myself till certain of
being among men worthy of trust.
Having, by different inquiries of differ
ent persons, learned the best route to
the place I wished to reach, I slipped
out of the village after dark, and went
to o neighboring forest, where l
climbed tree and passed the night in
its branches. The next morning, after
slight repast on such food and fruit
as l had provided for the journey, I set
forward through the wood, following a
travelled path, and guiding myself by a
small pocket compass.
The route, lying through forest and
jungle, up hill and down, was lonely
and dreary enough to make me more
than once wish for companion. More
than once fancied I heard the growl
of some wild beast, and stopped and
stood on the defensive; and several
times the whir of some large bird flying
up near me, or the sudden scream and
rush of frightened monkey, gave me a
start that was anything but pleasant;
but, with these exceptions, I got along
very well till about midday, when, as I
was in the act of descending into a
dark, gloomy hollow, where the trees,
vines and luxurious vegetation so inter-
fered as to make it matter of some
risk and trouble to pick my way
through, I was suddenly brought to a
stand by noise resembling ,scutfle in
the path before me, accompanied by
what appeared to be human groans.
From where stopped could not see
the contending parties, though the
sounds told me they were quite near.
There were evidently not more than
two of them, and I thought it would be
quite safe for me to venture forward,
especially as was well armed. What
could it be? Perhaps some Thug had
fallen upon a traveller like myself, and
was now strapgling him, according to
the highest code of his religion. That
the peculiar sounds I heard proceeded
from anything but human strife and
human misery,I had not the remotest
idea; and therefore my surprise and as
constituent may be imagined when, on
gliding throughasort of vegetable tunnel
I beheld, upon more open and lighter
space, a large monkey in the coils of a
venonous snake.
I was just in time to witness, not the
struggle, but the death of the poor
quadruped. His last groan had passed
his lips; his eyes, half out of his head,
were already glazed, and, with single
convulsive culver through his crushed
body, his life went out at the moment
my gaze fell upon him. The snake, per-
haps hearing my approach, raised its
huge, misshapen, hooded head, turned
its fiery eyes full upon me, ran out its
red, forked tongue, Kissed out malig-
nant defiance, and then. as if knowing
it's victim was dead, and that it now had
q formidable foe to contend with, I'M
coiled itself like lightning, and appeared
standing up straight before me, the
most appalling sight, all things consld-
cred, I had ever looked upon.
I had advanced with my rifle upon
my shoulder, prepared for the necessity
OF quick shot, and now, impulsively
taking hurried aim, I fred one barrel
at the broad, ugly head of the monster.
Fortunately, I hit him somewhere about
the neck, and he dropped, but threw
himself about with the widest contor-
tons, and in single moment was at
my feet. I jumped back with wild
cry, and, scarcely conscious of what I
was doing, thrust down the muzzle Of
my piece, and fred the other barrel
just as he was in the act of Selling it
with q venomous snap, blowing his head
to atoms. ....a
was secretly returning heartfelt
thanks for my deliverance, when I was
again startled by slight rustling of the
bushes to the left, and by the time 1
could draw pistol, not knowing what
! might next have to encounter, I found
myself confronted, not by beast, but a
man.
ALL well met, fellow-traveler," he
said, in very good English, as if he had