Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1888-07-27
TERRIBLE ORDEAL.
An Adventure Which MAJ co"A"
n Gallant Offeer.

A Adventure w 'f
Instances are not uncommon Oh iie'
who have displayed most remarkao'e
courage and fearlessness, ana nave
faced even death itself, until all dan
or was past and then have broken
down utterly. and been as cowaruly rs
children ever after A writer gives
thrilling incident of this kind wh,rn
hammered in India. On one OF Ms
many trips up Little Rangoon river ne
camped one night with party OF b'it-
ish officers who were out on huh'.
The leader of the party. and the pest
shot and bravest man in it, was MAYOR
Curtis. a man about forty years old.
He has killed more animals than any
other white man in the province
Armed only with a revolver, he had en-
tered the bungalow in which MUIR
derer was concealed. and taken him
away from crowd of his friends ana
delivered him to justice. He had swum
the river amid the alligators. and he
would stand for the rush of tiger or
the spring of a panther with laugh
on his lips. They said the Major ala
not know what fear was. He, perhaps.
though. So himself.
The camp was on the bank OF the
river. and only temporary one, and
no tents or covers were erected. we
sat around the fires until late hour.
and when we rolled ourselves up for
sleep the Major and | were only about
four feet apart. with nothing between
US The camp grew silent at once, and
every body was soon sound asleep.
was Just doing off when | thought l
detected the crawl of 4 snake near me,
but, after listening closely for a min
ute. | concluded it was a lizard or in
sect The air, the earth, the forests
and the waters of India are fnll of an
imal life by day and by night. A caml
no sooner grows quiet than wild rats
and mice, Lizards, great beetles. and
three or four sorts of squirrels begin
to prospect around. while night-birds
circle about, and the wolf, fox. jackal.
hyena and other animals draw near.
Snakes are always to be feared. but if
one started up at every suspicious
sound he would never get an hour 5
sleep.
Daylight was just coming when |
opened my eyes. | was on my left
side, turned toward the Major, and
noticed that he was on his back. Close
beside me was a revolver. which | had
slipped out of his holsters the night be-
fore that / might have it handy in case
of need. Not another soul in camp
was vet aroused. so far as know, and
| lay listening to the noises in the sur
rounding forest while dayli hit con-
tinued to grow stronger ! was about
to arise when | suddenly saw the head
of serpent lift itself above the Major
breast and wave to and fro. shut my
eyes for n few seconds and then opened
them to see the same sight again.
even tried it again and again. fearful
that was doing, and not wishing to
believe what l plainly saw. 1t Ger.
tainly was the head of venomous SER
pent, species closely resembling the
American black snake, and as deadl,
as any serpent in India. 1t waved its
head and darted its tongue Tor a mo-
ment. and then settled back into it,
coil.
As soon as the head went down fell
for my revolver and drew back the
hammer The click! click! alarmed
the snake, as knew it would, but b,
the time he had elevated his heat
again had my arm outstretched ant
the muzzle of my revolver within TIVE
feet OF him. 1t was snapshot ant
had to be made on the instant, and i
vas by pure good luck that l sent ?
bullet through his ugly head, He wa,
writing and Topping about as sprane
up, and was dead as | bent over tht
Major. The snake had crept out of tn,
ushes and upon the Majors breas
early in the night 1t was not more
than midnight when he awoke and
found the serpent coiled up. and ht
knew that any movement on his part
would result IN certain death. Fol
hree hours and half he had rested
D. the broad of his back, never moving
4 muscle, with his eyes wide open, an(
hat serpents head part of the tim,
waving to and fro within six inches o
lis face. When | bent over him h,
vas helpless. When we got him off tbs
ground he sank down again and begar
% weep, and it was fully two hours he
ore he would talk to us. The result
his experience was that he became ;
pertect physical coward, started at the
slightest noise, and was ready to ru,
trOm even q hnuSn la1. U O