Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-01-12
STUCK IN A PIT.
A TRAVELLERS EXPERIENCE IN THE
 LUNCHES OF TIGER LAND.

A TRAVELLERS EXPERIENCE IN THE
 LUNCHES OF TIGER LAND.
 Fight with an Immense Cobra-Horrors of
 an Impending Death by Drowning-Stuck
 and the Shadow of Death.
 A general, whose name MT. Inglis does not give, tells the following story of his expert ence in pit trap in an Indian jungle in ''Tent Life in Tiger Land:"
 was hurrying along slight track when, bang, all at once, down I went into the con- cealed pit But now comes the curious part of the affair. I went plopl straight down into deep, dismal hole, and at the bottom landed right up to my waist fin deposit of tenacious clayey mud. Regular ''pank" it was In fact. when I tried to struggle and free myself found was held as firm as if l had been hirdlimed I shuddered as noted the dismal surroundings. There were several great. gaunt looking, yellowish green frogs peering at me with curious eyes; and then, as turned my head around little, made a discovery that made my very heart cease beating for minute, and sent every drop of blood in my body bounding back in my veins.
 There, right on a level with my face, its length half concealed in a crevice in the crumbling sides of the pit, its hood half ex- banded, its forked tongue quivering as it jerked it out and in, and it's eyes glittering | with a baleful glare, saw great cobra felt utterly helpless and despairing, and for moment my heart whispered to me that my end had come. Then came sort of nervous ' f,,v-r >$ despair" we read about. know I uttered savage curse, and, snatching my hard hell met, hit the brute a smashing blow in the | face, and then began a fight for life. | TERRIBLE BATTLE.
 It was big, powerful snake. The blow | had only maddened 1t. Its hood expanded its hissing filled the pit, and, swaying and rearing its clammy length, it launched full at my face. My gun was lying choked up with dirt and half buried in the ''pank," but l had my hunting knife with me, and while | l parried the fierce darts of the infuriated brute with my helmet, l made quick stabs and slashes at it whenever l could get a chance, and after short, exciting struggle 1t succumbed and tried to withdraw behind the crevice but with slice of my knife I nearly severed its head from its body. And then for awhile-you may laugh at me or Enot, as you will-all was blank. must l have tainted.
 The weary hours dragged along. It was intensely still and sultry above, I Iconjectured, for even in the deep dark pit the air was stifing and oppressive, and I could not de | tect a sound or rustic in the vegetation that overhung the mouth of my living tomb l could now see that the day was waning. The heat had become, if possible, still more sultry and intense, and once or twice had fancied I heard a low, muttering, rumbling sound as if of distant thunder. The clouds were hurrying up in tremendous solid masses, and soon big drop or two of rain began to come hustling through the overhanging grass, and another dread began to take possession of my mind. l knew what was coming. From hundred tiny crevices and gaps in the edge of my pit the troubled turbid rain water began to trickle down, crumbling the clay away, and was soon drenched to the skin, and felt with alarm the water beginning slowly but surely to mount up the sides of the pit
 THOUGHT HIS HOUR HAD COME.
 I thought then it was all up with me. can hardly describe to you my thoughts. I know l thought of home. reviewed my past life. l made desperate struggles again and again to free myself. I shouted and screamed for help l believe I prayed and swore. In fact, for the time, believe must have gone de- mented, but I found myself utterly power less. The miry clay and treacherous ''pank' held me firm, and then again must have re- lapsed into unconsciousness.
 When came to myself it was barely light it was still raining heavily and stolidly; the big drops plashed down; could see dull leaden sky above and knew the "nullahs' and watercourses would soon be full The battle of the elements had ceased, and but for the continuous crash of falling rain all was still. The water in the pit was nearly up tc my shoulders. I felt was doomed to die and a sort of sullen, despairing stupor took possession of me. l had now given up al hope, when, harkI 1 thought heard the sound of a human voice! With all the agony of despair, I raised a cry for help. There was an awful pause, and then l heard my faithful Baeka crying in response. Again cried out, and I soon saw his dear, old wrinkled face peering down at me from the edge of the pit.
 Well, how did they manage to get yor outr' asked.
 "Oh, that was not so easy, but they man aged it; some of them cut down saplings ane managed to make sort of ladder, ano Baeka came down with a long 'lathee,' anG loosened the 'pank' around my body sufH ciently for me to do the rest myself. TheI they tied their 'puggrees' and Hummer bunds' together, and I knotted these roune my waist, and under my armpits, and witt that help, they tugging away at the fre' ends, managed to chamber out"-Cincin nati Enquirer.
 TeS Gowns.
 Pea gowns for all sorts of informal socia gatherings in the evening seem likely to be come permanent fashion. They have little ;o oJI f