The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1888-09-14
under supervision.


that faced the door and looked down
this lane when lying on my right side.
Each night n fire was built lust at the.
mouth OF the lane, and there were so
many other fires scattered about that we
Ielt safe from tigers or serpents.
On this night turned in at about 10
o'clock. Half an hour later it began TO
rain heavily, and in a few minutes all the
fires were out. The rain continued until
after midnight, and then il cleared up
and the moon rose. had slept for an
hour, and awok- just as the light of the
moon came over the jungle.
1t shone fun upon the lane, and the
first thing my eyes rested on WAS n large
cobra making its way toward me. We
had seen none OF them in our two weeks
stay, but i knew the species directly
caught its motion. Ny two guns were in
the hut
To spring ont OF the hammock and
seize one OF them and fire at the serpent
was the work OF ten seconds That was
my programme, but as I made the first
movement / found myself fast had not
removed my trousers, and the buckle had
worked itself down among the fibres and
become fast.
| had only time for the one effort To
get clear must dump myself out on my
knees, Gnd the serpent was too near for
that The cobra might fee in af-
fright, but he was more likely TO spring
upon me. And suppose there was pair
of them, and that the other had already
entered the hutl
In ten seconds after this thought came
TO me l wac IN cold sweat, and so
weak that l could not have stood on my
feet. The slight movement had made
alarmed the cobra, and he coiled himself
and waited fully two minutes before COM
ing on again / ought 10 move and also
use my voice, but for the life OF me
could neither raise = finger nor utter d
sound.
The serpent might have been ten min
utss crawling the fifteen feet which
brought him into the hut. As soon as he
WAS over the threshold he was in the
darkness, and I could no longer see him.
L heard him crawling about over the
dried grass On the foor, however, and
knew that it was only n question of min
utes when he would seek a closer acauain-
tance with me. He might not strike me
at once. The cobra never attacks unless
cornered. II never strikes sleeper
Ny hammock was slunR about three
feet from the ground. After few min
utes l heard the snake crawling toward
me, and prepared for the worst. When
i turned in IL was very close and oppres-
hiye. had, therefore, thrown the blan-
Eets out OF the hammocks. The cold rain
Lad chilled the snake, and he vas looking
for warmth.
Tho blankets were on the ground and
this fact prevented him from coming into
the hammock. l could not see him, but
could hear and scent him as lie twisted
about and finally curled down. When he
had become quiet ! felt that / had a
chance for my life. / would wait until
lie WAS asleep, and then mako n sudden
tpring and = rush. II I waited until day
light aroused the natives, tho cobra would
Certainly bite me. --1~-- -----~------
l was cooler now, AID waited from
twenty TO twenty-five minutes before
moving. / vas just planning to dump
myself out OF the hammock, when the
moOnhghs revealed 4 new and uEeIl ected
danger.
. Staucing at the mouth OF the lane.
ard looking straight in upon me, was a
tiger. That he had entered the village in
search OF prey l knew by his demeanor
That he WAS an old tiger and a nan-eater
one could soc by his lordly air. Instead
OF coming In from the jungle, he had come
across the open and cultivated land, and
my hut was first in his path
/ did not believe he would enter the
hut. Tho lane would look like a trap TO
him, and he would perhaps fight shy.
After looking 1t me for perhaps two min
utes, the tiger moved out Of sight, and
presently heard him stealing around the
hut looking for an opening. There wRs
no other, and he returned and surveyed
me again.
While my eyes were wide open, did
not move n finger, and the animal no
doubt believed me asleep. He probably
saw the blankets on the ground, but 1
don't think he suspected the presence OF
the serpent.
When tic tiger finally entered the open
ing and began TO approach me gave my
self mp for lost. With this feeling came
tEHt of coolnrss, and / was never moro
cIearminded in my life.
FOR moment forgot the snake, but
presently, ~ the tiger was wishin ten
feet of thu doorway, heard the serpent
utter low hiss and move about. The
| tiger hId eyes and ears only FOR me. He
Ak alEed over the ground exactly as you
have sren n cat, making no more noise
than mousc.
When he reached the doorway and
stood with his forepaws On the threshold
! my hc.rt stopped beating. His next move
would be n spring. and he would find me
helpless.
There was an interval of thirty seconds
| Ny sight went away from me. / was
half dead with terror family remem-
| Der hearing hiss and a snarl and all at
| once ! rose. -
| II WAS to see the cobra and the tiger
| rolling over and over in the lane. and
! raising such n row that the whole village
| was aroused in n moment. l saw all the
| fight, but remember very little. Serpent
and tiger rolled away down the lane and
then back again, the one hissing like a
steam engine and the other roaring and
| growing. In ten minutes 1t was over,
and both were dead, and then / tainted
away, and was unconscious.
The cobra lad bitten the tiger in moro
than City places, and the tiger had used
his teeth and claws 70 tear his enemy