The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-01-02
IN A PIT WITH A COBRA.
The Terrible Experience of a Soldier in An
Indian Jungle,

The Terrible Experience of Soldier in 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 jun
Gle in ''Tent Life in Tiger Land"
/ 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 plop!
straight down into a deep, dismal hole,
and at the bottom landed right up to my
waist IN a deposit of tenacious, clayed
mud. Regular 'pank' it was. In fact,
when l tried to struggle and free myself |
found / was held as firm as If | had been
birdlimed. l 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 a little,
/ made discovery that made my heart
cease beating for minute and sent every
drop of blood in my body bounding back
in nv veins There, right on level with
my face. its length half concealed in
crevice in the crumbling sides of the pit,
its hood half expanded its forked tongue
quivering as it ierked it outand in, and its
eyes glittering with baleful glare, saw
a great cobra. | felt utterly helpless and
despairing, and for moment my heart
whispered to me that my end had come.
Then came a sort of nervous recklessness.
l suppose it was ''the fury of despair we
read about l know l uttered savage
curse, and, snatching my hard helmet, l
hit the reptile smashing blow in the face,
and then began a fight for life. 1t was
big powerful snake. The blow had mad
dened it. Its hood expanded, its kissing
filed 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 punk" but | 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 ] could get a
chance, and after short, exciting struggle
it succumbed, and tried to withdraw be-
hind the Crevice, but with slice OF my
knife / nearly severed its head from its
body. And then for awhile-you may
laugh az me or not, as you will-all was
blank | must have tainted. The weary
hours dragged along. 1t was intensely
still and suitry above, 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. l could now see that the day was
waning. The heat had become, if posi-
bic, still more sultry and intense, and once
or twice ] had fancied ] heard low, NUT
tering, rumbling sound as If OF distant
thunder The clouds were hurrying up
in tremendous solid masses, and soon a
big drop or two of rain began TO come
hustling through the overhanging grass,
and another dread began to take possess
sion of my mind. knew what was COM
L
gaps in the edge OF my pit the troubled
turbid rain water began TO trickle down,
crumbling the clay away. aud l 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. l know [
thought of home. reviewed my past life.
| made desperate struggles again and again
to free myself. ! shouted and screamed
for help. / believe / prayed and swore.
In fact, for the time, believe | must have
gone demented but | found myself utterly
powerless. The miry clay and treacher-
Gus "pank" held me firm, and then again
j must have relapsed into unconscious
ness. When | came TO myself it was
hardly light; it was still raining heavily
and stolioly; the big drops FLASHED down;
COulu see q Qull, ledueu Sky aDONe' anu
knew the "nullahs" and water-courses
would soon be full The battle of the
elements 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. / felt | was doomed to die,
and sort of sullen, despairing stupor took
possession of me. / had now given up all
hope, when, bark thought heard the
sound of 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-
Spouse. Again l cried ont, and / soon saw
his dear, old, wrinkled face peering down
at me from the edge OF the pit.
"Well, how did they manage to get you
out?" / asked. "Oh, that was not so easy,
but they managed it; some of them cut
down saplings and managed to make
sort of ladder, and Baeka came down with
a long lathee, and loosened the 'pank'
round my body sufficiently for me to do
the rest myself. Then they tied their
'puggrees' and 'kummerbunds together,
and knotted these round my waist and
under my armpits, and with that help,
they Juggling away at the free ends, man
aged to Chamber out"