Telegram-herald., 1888-02-15

D.ssszs gAleh ~ Gisl1x z21 caa fss'
very ioBx

Eso a4Bssxs -haee No lsiag Haan osR faos
AL seaa ais serve se-y ls2x- 4 szs~rs this
oscaz1ss : has o<<n nv fortans % rnses sonos
Sf -ks slos1 co1F aseoas zea sf tAs gsseEsr
tion. sal I ssvs kad opportanlti-s to -
thar usrys uz1sr Are
u ais wss II tes -nplsy sf TIE Enxiish
mat serviee IA ln1ls. o1s Ct the 81. a. sorked
OF -As s2eo,iier transportation Ns~ routes
sers sel~cted . save elst4rse, znd Whsnever
Is ~.s possible rks rivers were ass1e use Of
On ons o.,casion was - 'eniing Ths Little
kangooa river vita fnres natiVcs and The
MAJ begs when were haiisd from sbors
by an Engtsh hunter vhs had been camping
ccr among tse fierce Wild animals and
poisonous srrlents for seventy DAYS Hs
Sss entlrcly algl@. ard 20 had led I've
leoPar'l4, thEss tigers, slx elght iArge SER
psnts AMI G1l1ch o-Eer gaa4s. lie rad several
fresa sca-s 70 prove hand - hand oonaict
With . wounded tiger, snd the bare fact of
his being alone IA th<t country, exposed 10
s.nost every dsngsr cue could dreAn of, vas
proof that 90 WIS = brave nan
lie had rsrs al ths bank ard was about
% cross TIRE stream After VISIT % a quarter
of an hour we took him IN tow and dropped
down about mil. We had iuss headed
fer ths othef haak when / saw iarge croco-
die riss % tAs surface just behind the hum
ter's raft. The man had not catered the boat
with -, but vas sitting On his traps on the
raft cslled - him - shoot the reptile, and
ne rose and made s. pretty . shot as one ever
saw, striking ths skurisn ia the eye and kill
ing him 81 oncc We were applauding the
shot when dozen OF the monsters broke
water AL about n. raft.
The hunter had repeating rife, and
b stood ON his feet and banged away
right and left as coolly rs you
please. | ordered the men 70 cease
rowing and got out my own rife, but before
had fired q single shot monster crocodile
climbed upon the aide OF the light bamboo
raft and upset it, We backed water verv
rapidly, and IL was not over thirty seconds
before boat and raft had bumped At the
same instant the hunter rose beside the boat,
and one OF the natives pulled him n While
be 10y on the bottom OF the boat We rowed
about and picked up such Of his traps as
wero afoak IL was very little we saved an
his firearms had gone 70 the bottom and his
skins and pelts had been swiftly dcvoured by
the croooslilss.
Wh-n | came 70 offer the man sornc spirits
his LOCKS had changed 50 that could scarcely
bolicvs he was the Same man No ono stand
ing on the galiows trap could have been moro
broken up. Ho mad scarcely swallowed the
whisky when he began TO cry, and he insisted
that We cover him up in the bottom OF the
boat. It was whole fortnight before tho
man recovered lis co,nposure, while his nerve
was gone forever he who had stood with
krife drawn awaiting the rush Of a tiger,
and who carried marks TO prove his bravery
and his victory, had boen totally broken up
by On experience of less than two minutes in
the water with dozen crocodiles. On ono
OF rly trips up this sa-no river, and 100 miles
from the coast, camped orc night with a
party Of British officers vhp were out on a
hunt Tho leader Of the party, aud the best
shot and brsvcst man in IL, was Maj Curtiss,
q man about 10 yeors old. He had killed
moro villa animals than any white man in
tho province Armed only with revolver,
be had entered q bungalow in which mur-
der-r was concealed, and taken him away
from {. crowd OF his friends ani delivered
him over to justice. On 4 bet of SIS he had
swan the river arlid The alligators, and he
would stand for the rush Of tiger or tho
spring of q panther with a laugh on his lips
They said OF the major that he did not know
what fear was lie, perhaps, thought SO
birlscls
The camp was On the bank Of the river,
and only C. temporary one, and no tents or
covers were erected. We sat around the
fires until late hour. smoking and ysrniny,
and when we rolled ourselves for sleep the
major and were only four feet apart, with
nothing between uA The camp grew silent 1t
once, and everybody was soon sound asleep
was just dozing OF when thought do
tected the crawl Of q snake near me, but
after listening closely for a minute / con-
sluded that it was q lizard or an insect.
Daylight was just coming when opened
ny eyes. ! was on my left side, turned
oward the major, and noticed that he was
on his hack. Close beside ms was a revolver,
which l had slipped ont of its holster the
night before that / might havc il handy in
case Of need Not another soul in the camp
was yet aroused, so far as l kncw, and lay
| listening to the noises in tho surrounding
forest while daylight continued 70 grow
stronger. / was about 20 arise, when / sud-
denly saw the head Of a serpent lift itself
above the majors breast and wave TO and
| fro. shut nv eyes for few seconds. and
then opened them 20 see the same sight
tr-in. I even tried il again and again, fear
'Gl that l was doing, and not wishing TO
believe what plainly saw.
Ii certainly was tha head On a venoraous
serpent, a species closely resembling the
American black snake, and as deadly ss any
serpent in India. II waved its head nrd
/ iartcd its tongue for moment, and then
settled back into its coil As soon as tho
/ head went down l felt for my revolver and
: drew back the hsnmT The click click,
alarmed the snake. ns knew 1t would. but
/ by the tire be had elevated It's head again
/ had my arm outssretched. and tho muzI,e Of
the revolver within two feet OF him Il vas
q snap shot and had 70 bc made on the in
s.azf. and it vas by pure good luck that
sent bullet through his ugly head lie was
writhing ard Topping shout as sprang up,
and was dead IS bent over tho major.
/ The snake Rad crept ont of the bushes and
| upon the majors breast early n the night.
| II was not moro than midnight wh-n the lat
/ ter awoks and found the serpent coiled up,
and be knew that any movements on bis part
/ would result in certain death. For three
/ hours and = half he had rested on the broad
/ Of his back. never moving a muscle. with his
sTc< vide open. and that serTsnts bead part
/ q The time waving IN and fro within SIX
/ inches Of his fsce When bent over him he
was helpless. When "a got him OF the
/ ground &c sank down again and began e.
vscp. and : was fully two hours before b.
would talk 70 Us. The resals q his expert
sucs was tdzt he becarns = peFfocs rhvxlcsl
f coward. started az The slightest noisr. ard
was ready - run fror, even = hos1-e doz. -
Indian Mail