The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1888-12-15
Terrible Ordeal


ali danger was past, and then have
broken down utterly, and been as
cowardly as children ever after. A
writer for the New York SIN gives a
thrilling incident of this kind, which
happened in India. On one of his
many trips up the Little Rangoon
river. he camped one night with a
party of British officers VINO were
out on a hunt. The leader of tie
party, and the best shot and bravest
man in it, was Major Curtis, q man
about forty years Of age.
He had killed more wild animals
than any other white man in the
province. Armed only with re-
voiver, he had entered the bungalow
where a murderer was concealed, and
taken him away from crowd of his
friends, and delivered him up to jus.
tice.
He had swan the river amid the
alligatOrs, and he would stand for
the rush Of tiger or the spring of a
panther with a laugh on his lips.
They said the major did not know
what fear was. He, perhaps, thought
go himself.
The camp was on the bank of the
river, and only temporary one, and
no tents or covers, had been erected.
We sat around the fires until late
hour. and when we rolled ourselves
up to sleep the Major and were only
about four feet apart, with nothing
between us. The camp grew silent
at once. and everybody was soon
sound asleep.
l was just doing off when
thought l detected the crawl of a
snake near me, but after listening
closely for minute, | concluded it
was lizard or an insect. The air,
the earth, the forests, the waters of
India are full of animal life by day
and by night.
A camp no sooner grows quiet
than wild rats and mice, lizards,
great beetles and three or four kinds
of squirrels begin to prospect around,
while night birds circle about, and
the wolf, the jackal, hyena and other
animals draw near, Snakes are al
ways to be feared, but if one started
up at every suspicious sound he
would never get an hours sleep.
Daylight was just coming when |
opened my eyes, l was on my left
side, turned toward the Major. and |
noticed that he was on his back.
Close beside me was a revolver,
which l had slipped out of his hol.
sters the night before that 1 might
have it handy in case Of need.
Not another soul in camp was yet
awake so far as knew, and l lay
listening to the noises in the sur
rounding forest while daylight con-
tinued to grow stronger. [ was
about to arise, when | suddenly saw
the head of serpent lift itself above
the Majors breast and wave to and
fro.
shut my eyes for a few seconds
and then opened them to see the
same sight again. l even tried it
again and again, fearful that l was
doing. and not wishing to believe
what l plainly saw.
1t certainly was the head of veno-
nous serpent, a species closely re.
sembling the American black snake,
and as deadly as any serpent in In
dia, 1t waved its head and darted its
tongue for moment, and then set
tied back into coil,
AS soon as his head went down l
felt for my revolver and drew back
the hammer. The click, click, al
armed the snake, as | knew it would
but by the time he had elevated his
head again | had my arm Out-stretch-
ed and the muzzle of my revolver
within two feet OF him.
1t was a snapshot and had to be
made on the instant, and it was by
pure good luck that I sent bullet
through his ugly uead. He was
writhing and Topping about as l
sprang up, and was dead as 1 bent
over the Major.
The snake had crept out of the
bushes and upon the Majors breast
early in the night. 1t was not more
than midnight when he awoke and
found the serpent coiIed up. and he
knew that any movement on his part
would result in certain death. For
three hours and a-half he rested on
the broad of his back, never moving
muscle, with his eyes wide open,
and that serpent head part of the
time waving to and fro within six
inches of his head.
When | bent over him he was
helpless. When we got him off the
ground he sank down again and be-
uan tO Unnn and If NVaa fullx, t,vO