Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-01-10
IN A Pr WITH A COBRA.
The Terrible Experience ola Soldier in an Il
dian TuuUIe

dian Jungle.
general, whose name Mr.. Inglis does
not give, tells the following story Of his
experience in pit-trap in an Indian
jungle in Tent "Life in Tiger Land"
1 was hurtying slight track, when,
bang, all at once, down l went into the
concealed pit. But now comes the curl
Gus part of the affair. 1 went plop!
straight down into deep, d smal and at
the bottom landed right up to my waist
ia a deposit on tenacious, clayey mud.
Regular "pank" it was. In fact,
when 1 tried to smuggle and free myself
[ found / was held as firm as If l had
been birdlimed. 1 shuddered as l noted
the dismal surroundings. There were
several gaunt-looking, yeHowish green
frogs, peering at me with curious eyes;
end then, as turned my head around a
little, made discovery 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 nay face, Its length half
concealed in a crevice in the crumbling
sides of the pit, its hood half expaned, it's
forked tongue qpivering as it jerked it out
| and IN, and its eyes glittering with bale-
full glare, was egreat cobra. / felt utterly
| helpless and despairing, for moment my
| heart whispered to me that my end had
come
Then came sort of nervous recklessness
/ suppose it vas "the fury Of despair" we
read about. L know I altered savage
curse, and snatching my hard helmet,
hit the brute q smashing blow in the face
and then began fight for life. It was a
big, powerful snake. The blow hed mad
dened il. Its hood expanded, It's Kissing
filed the pit, and swaying and rearing its
clammy length, it launched full at my
face. Ny guu was lying ehoked up with
dirt and half buried in the "paak," but l
had my hunting knife with ma, and while
parted the fierce darts of the infuriat-
ed brute with my helmet, made quick
stebs and slashes aS it whenever I could
get chance. and after shcrt, exciting
struggle it succun bed, and tried to with
draw behind the creviee, but with a slash
of any knife / nearly severed its head
from it's body. And then for awhile
yoQ may laugh at me- or not as you will
all was a blank. / must have tainted.
The wesry hours dragged along. It was
intensely still and sultsy above, COL .ec-
tUced, for even ia the deep, dark pat the
air was stiff ing and oppressive, and
could not detect a sound or rostle in the
vegetation that overh1ng the month of
nY living tomb could now see that
the dey was waning, The heat had be-
come if possible, still Esore sultry and in
tense, and once or twice Ifacied / heard
low, nEtteripg, rumbiiug sound as if of
distant thunder. The clouds we're hurry.
ing up in tremendous solid masses, and
soOR a big drop or two of rain began to
come huatiing through the overhangiug
grass, and another dread began to take
possession of MY mind. I knew what
was com ing. From hundred tiny gaps
and crevsses in the edge of nay pit the
troubled turbid rain water began to
trickle down, crumbling the clay awar,
and was very soon drenched
to the skin, and felt with
alarm the water beginning slowly but
surely to mount up the sides of the pit.
/ though then it was all up with me. /
can hardly describe to you my thoughts.
l know l thought OF home. I reviewed
my past life. I made desperate struggles
again and again TO free myself. l shout
ed and screamed for help. I believe |
prayed aud swore. In fact, for the time,
believe / must have gone demented, bat
L foUnd myself utterly powerless. The
me firm, and then again [ must have re-
ldpsed into Inconsistencies. When /
came TO myself it was herdiy light; it was
still raining heavily and stolidIy; the big
drops plashed down; 1 could see a dull,
leaden sky above, and / knew the nullah
and water courses would soon be full
The battle of the elements had ceased,
and but for the continuous crash of fall
Trc oil he 81.
pit was nearly up to my shoulder l
felt l was doomed to die, anG sofort
sullen despairing slupor took possession
of me. 1 had now given up all hope,
when bark! | thought | heark the sound
of a human voicei With all he agony
of despair | reised cry for help. There
was an awful pause, and then [ heard my
faithful Baeka crying in res ponse Again
[ cried ont. and / soon saw his dear old
wrinkled face peeripg down at my from
the edge of the pit.
"WelI, how did they manage to get you
out?" l asked. "Oh, that was not so
easy, but they managed if; some OF them
cut down saplipgs and made a sort of
ladder and Baeka came down With long
''lathee" and loosened the "punk" around
my body sufficient for me to do the rest
myself. Then they tied their "puggrees"
and "kummerbunds" together, and knot
ted these around my waist and under my
arm pits, and with that help, they tugging
away at the free end, and managed to
Chamber out.
YOUNG BLOOD TRlUMPHS
Colorado Republicans Nominate E. o. W olcOtt