The Charlotte Democrat., 1888-10-26
A Thrilling Adventure

lated by gentleman who was sent TO In
dia by an animal house at Amsterdam to
procure den of poisonous snakes ior an
American circus. Il was not much of q
feat to secure the serpents wanted, and in
Q fortnight the party Was ready TO pull
mp stakes. It was on the last night of
the hunters stay ia the snake regions,
however, that the incident occurred which
nearly cost him his life. Hesays:I
The hat occupied had been nsed as a
store-house. On each side Of the single
doorway was stout ience, made of poles
and running out about twenty-five feet,
thus making lane or passage about
three feet wide. When the house was
filled with grain assentinel watched at the
mouth of this lane. Only one person
could go or come at a.time, and each was
thus under superyision. They had slung
. hammock for me, so that faced the
door and looked down this lane when ly-
ing on my right side. Each night FIRE
was built at the mouth of the lane, and
there were so many other fires scattered
about We felt safe from tigers aud serpents.
On this night l turned in about 10 o'clock
Half On hour later it began to rain iheavi-
ly, and in few minutes slt the fres swent
ont. The rain continued Inntib afef mid.
night, and then il cleared up anA the
moon rose. ] had slept over authndf, and
awoke just as the light Of tAsl moon scame
over the jungle. It shone Web sub the
lane, and the first thing -mE.os7sieS Sested
on was large cobra making it's way to-
ward me. We had seen 1oheH 6f tnem in
our two weeks,stay, but knew the spe.
cies the instant / caught its motion. My
two guns were in the hut. To spring out
of the hammock aud seize one of thsm and
fire at the serpent was the work Of ten SO.
conds. That was my programme, but as
I made for the first movement T found
trousers, and che buckle had worked itself
down among the fbers and become fast.
had only time for one effort. To get
near / must dump myself ont on my
knees, snd the serpent was too near. for
that. The cobra might flee In alright,
but he was more likely to spring upon
me. And suppose there wersa . pair of
them, and that the other had slready en-.
tered the hutl In ten seconds after this
thought came to me was in cold sweat,
and so weak that could not have, stood
on my feet. The slight movementI had
made alarmed the cobra, and he coiled
himself and waited full two minutes be.
fore coming on again. ought to move
and also raise my voice, but for the life of
me could neither raise q finger nor utter
q sound. tss' ~. .! RSo
The serpent might have. been, ten min.
ntes crawling the fifteen. feet which
brought him to the hut. AS soon as he
was over the threshold he was in The dark.
ness. and I could no longer, see him. I
heard him crawling about over the dried
grass on the floor, however, and knew
that it was only . question of minutes
i when he would seek closer acqpaintance
with me. The cobra never attacks Unless
cornered; it never strikes . sleeper. My
hammock was swung about. three feet
from the ground. Alter q few, minutes I
heard the snake crawling toward me, and
I prepared for the worst a, en-
When / turned in it was yeryo closa and
oppressive. / had therefores throEn the
blankets ont of the hammock. The cool
rain had chilled the snake and he was
looking for warmth. The blanketeovwere
on the ground, and this fact preKsnted
him from coming to the, hammock.
could not see him, but could bear and
scent him as he twined about and finally
curled down. When he had, becomequiet
felt that l had chance for MI, life.
would wait until he was asleep, and then
} make a sudden spring and a rush. If
waited until daylight aroused the natives,
the cobra would certainly bite me.
I was cooler now, and waited from TWEEN
tY to twenty five minutes before moving
was just planning to damp myself out
of the hammock when the moonlight re-
vealed q new and unexpected danger
Standing at the mouth of the lane, an(
looking in straight upon me, was Tiger
That be had entered the village ia, search
. of prey knew by his demeanor.s That
he was an old tiger, and man,eater, ont
} could see by his lordly air. Instead o
] coming in from the jungle, he had coma
> across the open and cultivated land, snt
my hut was the first in his path. I did
D not believe he would enter the hnt. Th'
: lane would look like trap TO him, and b.
/. would fight shy. After looking At me foi
! perhaps Two minutes the tiger moYed on
. of sight, and presently I heard bin steal
. ing around the hnt to look for 40 opening
g There was no other, and he retprped an,
q surveyed me again. While myleYes wer
r wide open, I did not move finger, an,
Q the animal, no doubt, believed me asleep
l. He probably saw the blankets. on th
!, ground, bat I don't think he snspecte
Is the presence of the serpent.
:, When the tiger finally entered the opei
. ing, and began to approach me-, / CAV
> myself up for lost. With this fselin
. came that of coolness, and was nevt
le more clear-headed in my life. For M
]. ment forgot the snake, but presently, .
Is the tiger was within ten feet of the doc
way, heard the serpent utter low hii
le and move about. The tiger bad eyes an
o ears only for me. He skulked over tk
le ground exactly as you have seen ca
TO making no more noise than 3, nous
.. When he reached the doorway ard stoo
ir with his forepaws on the thfeshold N
be heart stopped beating. His next MOI
q, would be spring. .1,.. yss
10 BE would find me hefpisss. There vi
an interval Of perhaps thirty seconds. N
sight went away from me; Twas half DEF
lis with terror. family remember hearir
of o hiss and snarI, and all st once roi
re The cobra and the tiger were rolling ov
ay and over in the lane, and raising such
be row that the whole village was arous'
1t. lin moment. / saw sll the 6ght, but i
he member very little. Serpent and tig
4 i n -. L.