The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1889-03-01
IN DANGEROUS ooMpAnry----



M Indian 1unaies
A General. whose name Mr. Ingiis
does not give. tells the following story
OF his experience In "a pit-trap in an
Indian judgie In lent Life In Tiger
Lands"
| was hurrying along a slight track,
when, bang, all at once. down | went
into the concealed pit. But now comes
the curious part OF the affair. ! went
plopl straight down into n deep. dis
mal hole. and at the bottom landed
right up 70 my waist In deposit Of
tenacious, ciayey mud Regular
..pank' it was. In fact, when ] tried
TO struggle aud free myself ] found
was held ns firm As II | had been bird
| lined. shuddered as / noticed the
dismal surroundings. There were
several great. gauntlooking. yellow
ish-green frogs peering at me with
curious eyes; and then, as ] turned my
head around n little. | made discov-
cry that made my heart cease beating
| for a minute. and sent every drop OF
blood in my body bounding back in
my veins. There. right on level
| with my face. It's length half concealed
Ia creyice I'm the crnmblIng sides OF
the pit. It's hood half expanded, il
forked tongue quiyering as 1t ierked
IL out and In. and It's eyes glittering
with a baleful glare. / saw a greet
cobra / felt utterly helpless and de-
spairing. an1 for q moment my heart
whispered to me that my end had
come. Then came a sort OF nervous
recklessness. / suppose it was .'the
fury OF despair" we read about. l
know / uttered n savage curse. nne.
snatching my hard helmet. hit the
brute smashing blow In the face. and
then began a fight for life. ft was O
big, powerful snake. The blow had
maddened IL Its hood expanded. its
kissing filed the pit. and. swaying and
rearing its clammy ieagth. it launched
full at my face. Ny gun was lying
cho.ed up with dirt and half buried in
the '.pank." but ! had my hunting
knife with me. anI while 1 parried the
fierce darts of the infnriated brute
with my helmet. | made quick stabs
, and siashes at it whenever l could
get chance, and after q short. excit-
ing struggle IL succumbed. and tried to
. withdraw behind the crevice. but with
a slice Of my knife nearly severed its
head from its body. And then for
! awhile-you may laugh at me or not.
|, rs you wilI--all was a blank. ] must
, | have tainted. The weary hours
dragged along. II was intensely still
! and sultry above, | coniectured. for
) even I'm the deep dark pit the
. air was sitting and oppressive,
/ and / could not detect u sound
! or rustic In tho vegetation that
4 overhung the mouth OF my living tomb.
: could now see that the day was wan
= ing. The heat had become, II possible,
I still more sultry and intense. and once
4 or twice / had fancied / heard Iow.
a rnuttering. rumbling sound as II of dis
tant thunder. The clouds were hurry
o ing up in tremendous solid masses. and
i soon a big drop or two of rain began TO
! come hustling through the overhaug-
n ing grass, and another dread began "a
: take possession of my mind. / knew
: what was coming. From a hundred
tiny creFices and gaps in the edge OF
my pit the troubled turbid rain water
began TO tricxle down, crumbling the
Z clay away. and | was soon drenched Il
the skin, and felt with alarm the water
= beginning slowly blt surely TO mount
= up the sides OF ths pit [ thought then
~ il was all ap with ms. I can hardly
- describe to you M thoughts. / know
| thought of home. / reviewed. my pas
- life. made desperate struggles agair
ls and again TO free myself. | shouted
"a and screamed for help. | bsliove
y prayed and swore. In fact, for thu
~ time, / believe | must have gone de
= mented. but / found myself utterl,
:" , powerless. The miry clay and treach
~ - erous spank" held me firm, and thel
sh again must have relapsed into uncon
sciousness. When | came to mysel
oy it was hardly light; ii was still raining
10 heavily aud stolidly; tho big drop
ch plashcI down: | c0ull sea a dull
er ieaden sky above. and | knew tn
, a ssnuIlahs' and watsr-eourses woul.
hi soon be full Tue battle of the ele
=, ments had ceased. and but for the con
u' tinuous crash of falling rain all wa
ih still. The water in the pit vas nearl
re- up TO my shoulders. l felt | wa
ey doomed TO die. and n sort OF sullen. dc
xn spairing stupor took possession OF ms
had now given up al hope, wher
NO harki | thought / heard the sound {
he human voice, With all the agon
"a of despair. / raisci cry for hell
There was an awful pause, and then
'h heard my faithful Baeka crying in r,
u sponse. Again | cried out. and | 500
It's saw his dear. old. wrinkled face pee
of ing down at me from the edge of th
be pit We'll. how did the
its manage to get yeu out?" / aslret
M 20. that was not so easy, bat the
,a managed it: some of them cut dow
IL. saplings and managed to make a so
- OF ladder. and Baeka came down wit
% 'a7 a long lathe and loosened the .panl
III, round my body sufficiently for me
NV do the rest myself Then they tie
ter their 'puggrees and 'kummerbund
me together. and / knotted these roun
icy my waist and under my arm pits. ar
the with that help. they tugging away
the the free ends. l managed to clamb.
ned ouS
~ a IliInSfinn Of Dehs