Wichita eagle., 1889-01-10
STUCK IN A PIT.
A TRAVELLERS EXPERIENCE ~ THE
IUNGLsS OF TIGER LAND.

| Fight with an Immense Cobra-Horrors Of
an Impending Death by Drowniae-stncz
In the Clay and Surrounded b, Reptiles
| and the Shadow of Death.
| A general, whose name Mr.. Inglis does not
| give, tells the following story of his expert
snce in pit trap in an Indian jungle, in
"Tent Life in Tiger Land"
| was hurrying along slight track when,
| bang, all at once, down ! went into the con-
| cealed pit. But now comes the curious part
of the affair. went plop, straight down
| into deep, dismal hole. and at the bottom
landed right up to my waist in a deposit Of
tenacious clayey mud. Regular ''pank" it
was. In fact, when ! tried to struggle and
| free myself found / was held as firm as if
had been birdliIned / shuddered as | noted
the dismal surroundings. There were several
great, gaunt looking, yeilowish green frogs
peering at ne with curious eyes; and then, as
turned my head around little, made
discovery that made my very heart cease
beating for minute, and SAINT 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 crevice in the
crumbling sides Of the pit, its hood half ex-
panded, its forked tongue quivering as it
jerked it out and in, and its eyes glittering
with baleful glare, saw a great cobra.
felt utterly helpless and despairing, and for
a moment my heart whispered to me that my
end had come. Then came sort of nervous
| reckIessness. l suppose it was ''the fury of
despair" we read about. / know l uttered
savage curse, and, snatching my hard he'll
met, hit the brute smashing blow in the
face, and then began fight for life
a TERRIBLE BATTLE.
It was q big, powerful snake. The blow
had only maddened it. It's hood expanded,
its Kissing filed the pit, and, swaying and
rearing its clarnmy length, it launched full
at my face. My gun was lying choked up
with dirt and half buried in the ''paIk," but
l had my hunting knife with me, and while
] parried the fierce darts of the Infatuated
brute with my helmet, made quick stabs
and slashes at it whenever | could get
chance, and after O short, exciting struggle
it succumbed and tried TO withdraw behind
the crevice, but with q slice of my knife !
nearly severed its head from its 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, Iconjectured,
for even in the deep dark pit the air was
sitting and oppressive, and l could not de-
tect sound or rustic in the vegetation that
overhung the mouth of my living tomb. /
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 L heard low muttering, rumbling
sound as if of distant thunder The clouds
We're hurrylng up in tremendous solid masses,
and soon big drop or two of rain began to
come hustiing through the overhanging grass,
and another dread began to take possession
Of my mind | knew what was coming
From a 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 CONE.
l thought then it was all up with me. I can
hardly describe TO you my thoughts know
l thought of home. reviewed my past life
/ made desperate struggles again and again
to free myself shouted and screamed for
help. l believe prayed and swore. In fact,
for the time, believe must have gone de-
nlented, but l found myself utterly power
less. The miry clay and treacherous ''pank"
held me firm, and then again | must have re-
lapsed into Inconsistencies
When / came to myself it was barely light;
it was still raining heavily and stolidly; the
big drops FLASHED down; could see dull,
leaden sky above and l knew the "nullahsH
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 to
my shoulders. felt | was doomed to die,
and a sort Of sullen, despairing stupcr took
possession of me. | had now given up all
hope, when, harkl | thought / heard the
sound Of q human voice! With all the agony
OF despair, / raised a cry for help. There
was an awful pause, and then l heard my
faithful Baeka crying in response. Again
cried out, and | soon saw his dear, old,
wrinkled face peering down at me from the
edge of tho pit.
"Wen, how did they manage to get you
outf" / asked
'Oh, that was not so easy, but they man
aged it; some of them cut down saplings and
managed 20 make a sort OF ladder, and
Baeka came down with long 'lathee,' and
loosened the pank' around my body suffi-
GENTLY for me to do the rest myself. Then
they tied their 'puggrees' and hummer
bunds' together, and / knotted these round
my waist, and under my armpits and with
that help. they tugging away at the free
ends managed TO Chamber out. "-Cincin-
natl Enquirer.