Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1883-11-28

ten, and l was DOING, when my arm
was grasped by Chiniah. Looking
round, found his teeth chattering and
his face as pale as corpse while the
other man, with his hands over his
face, sat trembling From these |
looked toward where Chniah's horri-
fled gaze pointed to something I'M
earthly. | kne Y the fellow was afraid
of nothing living, but of the unseen
spirits he had dreal. |. too, was
taken aback. The ghastly body of the
wood-cutter was slowly moving to and
fro the arms and legs occasionally
lifted up, while no agent was visible
1t made my blood run cold, and | felt
a sensation as if cold water was being
poured slowly down my back along the
spine. | seldom touch spirits, but take
some with me in case of accidents or
need. | took u nip myself and gave
the two natives strong dose each.
Still the horrible cortortions continued,
and knew not what to make of Them
"Did not tell you, Sahib," whis-
pered Chiniah, chow wrong it WAS to
sit up over the body of IIindoo? We
should have carried him to the village
and had him burned; but now We are
all dead men he will arise pres entity
and kill u.s."
"llold your tongue, you FOOL re-
piled ; "the dead come not to life again
in this world there is some trick be-
ing played upon us"
"Who would venture into these jun
giles at this time of night with those
cursed man-eaters about? " said Chin
iah
81 don't know but keep quiet"
Here a jaclal came along the ravine
and out into the open, and approached
the corpse but getting within a few
yards, put his tail between his legs,
and, with frightened cry of the
Pheeal, ran for his life.
"Will you believe Inc now, Sahib?"
said Chiniah.
| was getting nervous, 1t is hor-
rid sight to see body full of life only
few hours before, lying out in the
moonlight. in its last sleep, and to
know that it met its death by the fell
stroke of tiger. But the body moved
backward; its face before hidden be.
came exposed first one eye opened
then the other, closing and opening in
a most diabolical way. There was not
a sound, and | must own | should have
been glad to have been in bed in my
tent, and never to have seen such a
sight but, thank goodness, our sus-
pense was not to last much longer.
My two followers had succumbed-I
believe they had tainted Watching
intently, l saw glide across the chest
of the dead the head of an immense
rock snake. 1t was wider than large
plate across, and its tongue was licking
the corpse all over. The movement of
the limbs and the opening and shutting
of the eyes were fully explained. Ny
feeling of horror disappeared, and |
watched the beasts every movement.
Digging my penknife into Chiniah, |
made him almost spring off the ma
chan. After staring like a mad man
for awile he perceived the python, and
was, if possible in greater panic.
"IIe is thirty cubits long" he uttered,
"and will swallow the wood-cutter first
and us afterward." | gave a silent
laugh, and pointed to the rifles. The
movements of the snake were inaudi.
ble, but we could see the disgusting
process of covering the body with sa-
liva, and after fully two hours, he
opened his horrid jaws and began to
swallow the body head foremost Now
python's teeth are so arranged that
once anything enters his mouth it can
not be elected again. Gradually the
head and neck disappeared, then the
shoulders and up to the waist, when
there was terrific roar. A tiger sprang
from a cover right on to the python,
seizing him by the back Of the neck.
have no doubt that death was in
stanteous, as far as the snake was con-
cerned, but his huge body, in circum-
ference equaling mans, and nearly
thirty feet long, in convulsive move
ments, wound round the tiger, and we
could hear the bones being crushed
one after the other. The roar the tiger
gave at the first squeeze was appalling;
but in a few moments the roars turned
into means, the means into a gurgliDg
sound, and gradually they, too, ceased,
while the contortions of the snake con-
tinued for over an hour. never saw
such frightful sight. What is man
or his strength compared to that of
either of the beasts lying dead before
us? We were speechless with horror
and surprise at the denonement, and at
the amazing strength of a moribund
snake. All signs of life ceased, and