Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1888-11-23


You may smile at the idea of
man being so utterly helpless. |
had faced every sort of Wild ami
NAL, and / had taken some risks to
make mems hearts stand still, but
this was a cObTa-the most dread
ed of all the serpent race in India.
Let his fangs bat touch my flesh
and was a dead man. had seen
his victims by the dozen, and I
knew something of the agOnies
they suffered before death came as
a merciful relief.
The serpent might have been ten
minutes crawling the fifteen feet
which brought him into the hut
AS soOu as he was over the thres.
hold he was in the darkness, and |
could no longer see him. | heard
him crawling about over the dried
grass on the floor, however, and
knew that it was only a question of
minutes when he would seek a
closer acquaintance with me. He
might not strike me at once. The
cobra never attacks unless corner
ed. 1t never strikes a sleeper. My
hammock was slnng about three
feet from the ground After few
minutes heard the snake crawling
toward me, and | prepared tor the
worst. When l turned in it was
very close ana oppressive. / had,
therefore, thrown the blankets out
of the hammock. The cold rain
had chilled the snake, and he was
looking for warmth. The blankets
we're on the ground, and this fact
prevented him from coming into
the hammock. could not see
him, but | could hear and scent
him as he twisted about and finally
curled down. When he had be.
come quiet | felt that l had a
chance for my life. ! would wait
until he was asleep, and then make
a sudden spring aud rush. If l
awaited until daylight aroused the
natives, the cobra would certainly
bite me.
| was cooler now, and | waited
from twenty to twenty-five minutes
before moving. | was just plaE-
ming to dump myself out of the
hammock, when the moonlight re-
vealed new and unexpected dan
ger. Standing at the mouth Of the
lane, and looking straight upon me,
was a tiger. That he had entered
the village in search of prey | knew
by his demeanOr. That he was an
old tiger and a man eater one could
see by his lOrdly air. Instead OF
coming in from the jungle, he had
come across the open aud Guilt
waited land, and my hut was first IN
his path. | did not believe he
would enter the hut. The lane
would look like trap to him, and
he would Gght shy. After looking
at me for perhaps two minutes, the
tiger moved out Of sight, and pres
emily / heard him stealing around
the hut to look for an opening
There was no other, and he return
ed and surveyed me again. While
my eyes were wide open, | did not
move finger, and the animal, no
doubt, believed me asleep. lie
probably saw the blankets oD the
ground, but don't think he suspect
ed the presence OF the serpent.
When the uger nnally entered
the opening and began to approach
me / gave myself up for lost. with
this feeling came that of coolnessi
and was never more clear-headed
in my life. For a moment / forgot
the snake, but presently, as the
tiger was within ten feet OF the
doorway, l heard the serpent utter
a low hiss and move about. The
tiger had eyes and ears only for me
He skulked over the ground exact
ly as you have seen a cat, making
no more noise than a mouse. WheT
he reached the doorway and stood
with his fore paws on the threshold
my heart stop ped beating. Hi
next move would be spring, an(
he would find me helpless.
There was an interval of perhap
thirty seconds. Ny sight wen
away from me. | was half deaC
with terror. | family remembe
hearing hiss and snarl, and al
at once / rose. 1t was to see th'
cobra and the tiger rolling owe
and over in the lane, and raising
such a row that the whole villag
was aroused in a moment. L saw
all the fight, but remember yer,
little. Serpent and tiger rolle'
away down the lane and then bacI
again, the one Kissing like a stean
, engine and the other roaring ant
growing, In ten minutes 1t wa
over, aud both we're dead, and the
l tainted away, and was uncon
sclous. The cobra had bitten tn
tiger in more than fifty places AM
the tiger had used his teeth an
claws to tear his enemy.
, Kept the Ladies Away.
Visitor to Sanctum-lIow is
Quillpen 7 You always used I
have ladies dropping in to see 20
abont Duffs for church sOciablel