The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1892-07-07

Uoa1 Hau SalHcIoN ooAAA0O ~ o'ohS III
the placid water and / lay upon my
oars Scarcely able to move. l was
completely exhausted.
All at once tremendous believing
caused me to look up in alarm. I'm
awares, l had foated quite near the
bathing place of the white elephants.
One old fellow was in the river. bel
lowing with rage, while on the bank
We're his two attendant elphants tug
ging and straining at the chains in the
vain attempt to make him come out of
| the water. The elephants of Siam at
tain larger size than the elephants of
any other country, and this white ele-
| phant was even larger than most
Siamese elephants. Observing bow
firmly the old fellow was planted in
the river sand, and that the other elc-
| phants labored under the disadvantage
of standing on the sloping bank, |
concluded that he would protract his
bath as long as he chose.
All at once the attendant elephants
ceased their struggles, and a cry of
terror burst from the lips of one of
| the priests, and whatever l had be-
| lieved before l am now certain that
those white elephant priests love and
venerate their charges.
"See! the karoo bokadams!" cried
the priest, .'the white kings life is in
danger!"
Floating down the river, directly
toward the white elephant. was a piece
of wreckage, part of broken bamboo
raft, and lying coiled upon it were
two of that hideous, terribly venomus
variety of water snakes, the karoo
bokadam.
If the wreckage kept its course it
would float against the elephants side.
If he moved he might excite the vim
| dicitive snakes and receive fatal
blow.
The priests on attendant elephants
halted them, but still the white ele-
phant beloved and swayed from side
to side. Truly, the white kings life
was in danger.
grasped my oars and forced the
stern of the shell about, and backing
water, came up to the raft with its
fatal freight, anding plac the point of
the boat against it gently pushed it
before me out into the current of the
river.
A shout of thanksgiving rose be-
hind me as drifted along down stream,
watching the serpents on the raft at the
stern. The creatures moved uneasily
and started at me with their unwink-
ing eyes, and at last one dropped over
board and sank beneath the quiet sur
face.
thought of the stories had heard
of the quarrelsome and revengeful
disposition of the karoo bokadam, how
if disturbed it would follow boats for
miles, watching for chance to leap
over the thwarts and attack the row.
ers; how swift, how tireless and how
terrible it was. Even the books at the
station corroborated the stories of the
natives; from quaint old Montigny's
"Voyage EN- Siam," to the latest
natural history from London, all
agreed in their stories Of the malignant,
dreadful karoo bokadam. And yet l
did not believe these stories.
decided to anger the serpent and
see what he would do.
picked up heavy piece of wood
that was floating in the river and
threw it at him, striking him full on
the neck. With an angry hiss he
raised his head and then deliberately
cast himself into the water and started
10 swim along the side OF the boat
toward me.
The shell sat low down in the
water and he could easily reach me,
so l seized the oars and took a strong
pull.
The boat shot ahead, but on came
the snake, swifter than before, and
l took another pull, hardly believing
that the reptile was really following
me. But my doubt was soon laid
at rest, for he darted along on the sur
face, straight in my wake.
/ bent to the oars and made the shell
go as fast as my weary muscles
would allow. Aud yet the snake
seemed to gain, aud as ! knew that i'll
my tired condition | could not long