The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1889-01-26
IN DANGEROUS COMPANY.
Tho Terrible Experience of o Soldier 4
an Indian Jungle.

Tho Terrible Experience OF . Soldier ia
an Indian jungle.
A General, whose name Mr.. Inglis
does not give, tells the following story
OF his experience in pit-trap in an
Indian judgle in TENT Life in Tiger
Land."
was hurrying along q slight track,
when, bang, all at once, down l went
into the concealed pit. But now comes
the curious part of the affair. went
plop straight down into a deep, dis
NAL hole, and at the bottom landed
right up to my waist in deposit of
tenacious, clayey mud. Regular
"pank" 1t was. In fact, when l tried
to struggle and free myself i found l
was held as firm as If had been bird
lined. shuddered as noticed the
dismal surroundings. There were
several great, gaunt-loolsing, yellow
ish-green frogs peering at me with
curious eyes; and then, as turned my
head around little, made a discov-
cry that made my heart cease beating
| for minute, aud sent every drop Of
blood in my body bounding back in
my veins There, right on q level
with my face, its length half concealed
in a crevice in the crumbling sides of
the pit, its hood half expanded, it's
forlSed tongue quivering as it jerked
| it out and in, and its eyes glittering
| with a baleful glare, saw a great
| cobra. l felt utterly helpless and de-
spairing, and for moment my heart
whispered to me that my end had
| come. Then came sort of nervous
recklessness. suppose it was 1.-The
fury of despair" we read about.
know uttered savage curse. and.
snatching my hard helmet, l hit the
brute smashing blow in the face, and
then began q fight for life. 1t was a
big, powerful snake. The blow had
maddened it. Its hood expanded, its
kissing 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 parried the
fierce darts of the infuriated brute
with my helmet, made quick stabs
and slashes at it whenever l could
get chance, and after a short, excit-
ing struggle it succumbed. and tried to
withdraw behind the crevice, but with
slice of my knife l nearly severed its
head from it's body. And then for
awhile-you may laugh at me or not.
as you will-all was blank. l must
have tainted. The weary hours
dragged along. 1t was intensely still
and sultry above, 1 conjectured. for
even in the deep dark pit the
air was sitting and oppressive,
and l could not detect a sound
or rustic in the vegetation that
overhung the mouth of my living tomb.
could now see that the day was wan
ing. The heat had become, If possible,
still more sultry and intense, and once
or twice had fancied heard low,
muttering, rumbling sound as If of dis
tant thunder. The clouds were hurry
ing upin tremendous solid masses, and
soon big drop or two of rain began to
come hustling through the overhang-
ing grass, and another dread began to
take possession of my mind. 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 then
it was all up with me. | can hardly
describe to you my thoughts. | know
/ thought of home. reviewed my past
life. made desperate struggles again
and again to free myself. l shouted
and screamed for help. l believe 1
prayed and swore. In fact, for the
time, believe l must have gone de-
mented but / found myself utterly
powerless. The miry clay and treach-
erous ''panll" held me firm, and then
again Imust have relapsed into uncon-
seriousness. When | came to myself |
it was hardly light; it was still raining
heavily and stolidly; the big drops |
plashed down; could see a dull, |
leaden sky above, and | knew the |
"nullahs" and water-courses would |
soon be full. The battle of the ele-
ments had ceased, and but for the con-
tinuous crash of falling rain all was
still. The water in the pit was nearly |
up to my shoulders. l felt was
doomed to die, and a sort of sullen, de-
spairing stupor took possession of me.
l had now given up all hope, when.
bark! thought heard the sound of
Il human voice! With all the agony
of despair, raised cry for help.
There was an awful pause, and then
heard my faithful Baeka crying in re-
sponse. Again cried out. and soon
saw his dear, old, wrinkled face peer
ing down at me from the edge OF the
pit. SWELL, how did they
to get you outP" asked.
10, that was not so easy, but they
it.; some OF them cut down
,aplings and managed to make a sort
of ladder. and Baeka came down with
, long lathe, and loosened the 'pank'
,ound my body sufficiently for me to.
10 the rest myself. Then they tied
heir 'puggrees' and 'kummerbunds'
together, and knotted these round
ny waist and under my arm pits, and
With that help, they tugging away at